FIGS. 259 



maturing of the fruit. Some figs are not much affected 

 by this ; some, however, will spoil, crack, and sour. 



' ' If, with these conditions favorable, a proper site for the 

 orchard is selected, no great difficulty will be encountered 

 in setting out and caring for the trees. In planting, how- 

 ever, great care should be exercised in shading the roots 

 from the sun and wind. Figs are more apt to get hurt 

 from exposure to sun and wind than almost any other fruit 

 tree, and if the roots once have become perfectly dried, it 

 is generally difficult to get the trees started. 



" The proper distance apart to set the trees is dependent 

 upon circumstances. Heavy growing varieties should be 

 planted twenty-five to fifty feet apart ; if the former, every 

 other tree may be cut out when the trees grow too large. 

 In the meantime a profitable crop has been for years se- 

 cured from each. If set twenty-five feet away we believe 

 ten years will elapse before any necessary cutting has to 

 be done. 



" The head of the fig tree should be started not over two 

 feet from the ground, and at that height the tree should 

 be allowed to branch out freely, thus to form a low, spread- 

 ing crown. On such low trees the fruit is easy to pick, 

 the stem is kept cool, while the crown of the tree receives 

 the maximum of sun. High-stemmed fruit trees are an 

 abomination and not profitable, if fruit is the object. We 

 do not refer now to fruit trees for shade or for avenues, as 

 such trees may be given any shape desired. 



" The priming of a fig orchard is a very light job, simply 

 because no regular pruning, as practiced and necessary for 

 other fruit trees, is here needed. Here and there a branch 

 may be cut out or a dead limb taken away, but no stopping 

 of branches is required, though it would not prove absq- 

 lutely detrimental to the tree. 



''The sweet but deceptive expectation, that, when an 



