AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



13 



PIG (Ficus Carica). The Fig, as a fruit-producing tree, 

 has been cultivated from remote antiquity. To say 

 nothing of America and the countries of the Southern 

 hemisphere, the cultivation of the Fig must be very 

 ancient, and is now general from the islands of the 

 North Atlantic eastward, through the warm temperate 

 and sub-tropical regions eastward to China, where, on 

 the authority of Dr. Bretschneider, it was carried on, 

 at all events, as early as the latter part of the four- 

 teenth century. According to various authorities, it is 

 a native of the Mediterranean region, Syria, Eastern 

 Persia, to Afghanistan. It has become naturalised in 

 South-west France, &c. The exact date of its introduc- 

 tion into Britain remains in obscurity ; and, like the Vine, 

 in all probability, it disappeared from Britain for a time. 

 According to Pliny, it was largely cultivated by the 

 Eomans, who were possessed of a number of different 

 sorts prior to the Christian era. The re-introduction of 

 the Fig is said to have taken place in 1525, when Car- 

 dinal Pole brought several trees from Italy, and planted 

 them in the gardens of the Archbishop's Palace at Lam- 

 beth. Another celebrated tree was introduced from 

 Aleppo, in 1648, by Dr. Pocock, the eminent traveller, 



FIG. 14. FRUITING BRANCH OF FIG. 



and placed in the garden of the Regius Professor of 

 Hebrew, at Christ Church, Oxford. In 1809, it was con- 

 siderably damaged by a fire, and the large trunk decayed 

 and was removed. A number of fresh branches, however, 

 sprang from the root, and, in 1819, those in the centre of 

 the tree were 21ft. high. It is remarkable that a tree 

 with wood of such a soft nature should live to the age of 

 even several centuries in climates suitable to its growth. 

 In Britain, when unprotected, the Fig is sometimes killed 

 to the ground by very severe frosts, but becomes re-esta- 

 blished by the production of suckers from the roots; at 

 other times, the points of the shoots are destroyed by frost 

 less severe. The fresh fruit does not find general favour 

 in this country, partly because successful culture involves 

 the necessity of heated glass structures in most districts, 

 and the very limited time it remains in good condition 

 when ripe. The skin is also extremely tender, and thus 

 the fruits are among the worst for packing to travel any 

 distance. In Sussex and other mild districts along the 

 South Coast, the tree will grow as a standard, but 

 it will not succeed as such further inland. The gene- 

 rally necessary situation is a wall with a south or south- 

 west aspect ; but in places where the summers are hot, 

 and very sharp frosts of rare occurrence, Fig-trees may 

 be grown as espaliers, being easily protected in winter 



Tig continued. 



as much as would be required. The Fig possesses the 

 extraordinary property of producing two, and, in some 

 climates, under most favourable conditions, three crops in 

 a year. The fruit supply being thus extended over such 

 a lengthened period, becomes to the people of the East, 

 where the trees are much grown, an important source of 

 food, both in a fresh and in a dried state. The annual 

 importation to this country alone of some hundreds 

 of tons of dried Figs, is an indication of the quantity 

 cultivated, and the crops secured. The same article also 

 forms one of considerable commerce in Italy, Spain, 

 Provence, and in some parts of France. 



As it is not generally understood, it may be interest- 

 ing to state here that the flowers of the Fig are unisexual, 

 and produced in large quantities inside a fleshy receptacle 

 that is closely united and almost closed at the summit. 

 The female flowers are most numerous, and situated on 

 the bottom and greater part of the inside of the receptacle. 

 On these becoming fertilised a condition not absolutely 

 essential with all for the ripening of the fruit each 

 becomes a seed, which is surrounded with pulp, and 

 these, with the receptacle, form the fruit as shown in 

 Fig. 14. An idea of the enormous quantity of 

 seeds contained in a fruit may be obtained by 

 examining an imported dried specimen. 



PROPAGATION. This is easily effected in 

 various ways by seed, cuttings, layers, and 

 suckers, also by grafting. 



Seed. Propagation by this method is not 

 much practised, but is sometimes adopted with 

 a view to raising, from the sorts which succeed 

 best in this country, other new and, perhaps, 

 hardier varieties than those introduced from 

 warmer climates. The seed, if required, should 

 be carefully cleaned from the pulp of some of 

 the finest and ripest fruits, and kept till Jan- 

 uary, when it should be sown in heat, and the 

 young plants afterwards grown on as rapidly as 

 possible, as on this mainly depends the time 

 taken in obtaining the first fruit. 



Cuttings, fyc. The best cuttings are short- 

 jointed growths of the previous year, from Gin. 

 to 9in. in length ; if with a heel, so much the 

 better. They may be inserted in pots, and 

 placed in bottom heat, in early spring Some 

 prefer selecting them in autumn, and laying 

 the enda in the ground all winter, providing 

 protection for the part exposed. Whether 

 treated in this way or taken directly from the plants and 

 inserted, they generally root freely, and, if grown on in 

 heat, soon form good plants. Propagation by layers is a 

 quick method of obtaining fruiting plants in a limited 

 time, as good-sized branches with fruiting wood may be 

 successfully rooted in one season, and may then be de- 

 tached from the parent. Suckers are freely produced 

 where allowed, and may also be grown into plants ; 

 but, on account of the wood in these being invariably 

 very soft, they are inferior to those grown either from 

 cuttings or layers. Grafting is practicable if desired, 

 the scions being cut in autumn, laid in the ground all 

 winter, and inserted, soon after the stock commences 

 its growth, in spring. Figs being so easily increased 

 by the other means above named, this method is but 

 little adopted. 



CULTIVATION. The Fig will grow in almost any soil; 

 but if too rich, the chances are that a great pro- 

 duction of wood and not much fruit will be the result. 

 The best crops outside are usually secured from trees 

 planted in a border composed of loam and brick rubbish, 

 by the side of a hard walk, into which the roots can 

 scarcely penetrate. If this is not practicable, they 

 must be occasionally restricted by root-pruning, or by 

 some other means, such as a narrow wall division under- 



