374 



THE PAEKS AND GARDENS OF PARIS. [Chap. XXIL 





the sun, and the fruit does not ripen so well. Others uncover one- 

 half their trees at the end of February, and the other half at the 



end of March. By this 

 :ijii„|'i,i; ^ ^_^ means a better average 



crop is insured both in 

 quality and quantity. 

 The branches are sepa- 

 rated from each other by 

 equal distances, so as to 

 avoid confusion, as well 

 as to prevent the leaves 

 from rubbing against the 

 fruit, which would have 

 the effect of blackening 

 them, and render them 

 comparatively worthless. 

 Those branches that are 

 too near the ground are 

 held up by means of forked 



Fig-tree flatitcd on slophig gronvd, ivith Earth Bashi on iiigcga of WOod The SOil 



hrn'cr side to better retain the water. \ 



IS carefully levelled 

 where the ground is horizontal, a little hollow being made round 

 the root of the tree to hold the rain-water. Trees that are 

 planted on sloping 

 ground require 

 hollows to be made in 

 the soil, so that the 

 water which flows 

 from the higher 

 ground may be col- 

 lected at the root 

 of each tree. In 

 this way a proper 

 degree of moisture 

 is insured during the 



whole of the sum- section shmving Fig-tree planted on inclined ground, with Earth 

 T • -I 1 • 1 Basin to retain the water. 



mer, besides which 



the soil is prevented from being cut up by the rains. This plan 



would seem to be peculiarly well suited to plantations on the 



