MULBERRY: CELTIS: FIG. 51 



There it remained about nine months. When I 

 took the bulb out again, I found that it had out- 

 witted me after all, for it had actually flowered in 

 the bag ! The scapes were about a yard long, and 

 were covered with a multitude of small flowers : 

 these were quite dry, so that I w T as unable to tell 

 whether they had been coloured or completely 

 etiolated. The scapes were wrapped round and 

 round the bulb, which had shrunk. What wonder- 

 ful vitality this Squill displays ! I planted the bulb 

 again, but another demenagement caused me to lose 

 sight of it, so that I have never seen the flower. 

 A peasant told me of a piece of ground quite 

 covered with this Squill, but I have seen only odd 

 clumps of it. 



The Fig tree is often whitewashed, trunk, 

 branches, and twigs, as a precaution against disease. 

 When in this condition, it presents an extraordinary 

 appearance. 



In the land areas around the Mediterrannean, 

 scale insects are numbered among the most 

 destructive pests that the Orange and Fig growers 

 have to contend with. Of these Coccus rusci, the 

 parasite of the Fig, is just now attracting much 

 attention in Italy. The diameter of a well-developed 

 female is five millimetres, the colour is greyish-white, 

 and they have the appearance of small cones upon 

 the trunk and boughs of the tree. They cover 

 themselves with a substance like wax, which 

 effectually protects them from insecticides. (Science 

 Gossip, February 1898.) 



The Climbing Fig (Ficus repens) grows here 

 luxuriantly even on a north wall. As in the case of 



4A 



