i go THE FRUIT GROWER'S GUIDE, 



possession of fig trees growing in a dry atmosphere, and, as syringing must be discon- 

 tinued when the fruit is ripening, the floors and other surfaces should be damped occa- 

 sionally for the benefit of the foliage, which must be kept healthy for maturing the 

 second crop of fruit, and ripening the wood. After gathering all the ripe fruit, syringing 

 may be practised on a fine day (if the foliage needs cleansing) without serious danger 

 of injuring the fruits left, especially if there be heat in the pipes and the air is kept in 

 motion by judicious ventilation; a stagnant atmosphere is injurious. 



Trees casting their Fruit. Young figs not infrequently fall from the trees prematurely 

 instead of swelling. This is not due to imperfect fertilisation, as is commonly supposed, 

 for fertile seeds are rarely, if ever, produced in this country, but to defective buds, and 

 always occurs with the first crop. Some varieties have a greater tendency to cast their 

 fruit than others, but even particular trees of the same variety sometimes throw off the 

 crop, which on others is retained. The fruit, after swelling to a good size, suddenly 

 assumes a sickly yellowish hue, and falls from ths tree. The dropped fruits, when cut 

 open, have large cavities, acd no flowers have formed in them. The cause of the evil is 

 poverty, or unripe wood. 



Over-cropping, ill nourishment, attacks of insects, too much moisture and too little 

 heat, with exuberance and improper management, share about equally in causing fig trees 

 to cast their fruit. Sudden checks to growth are at all times injurious, but especially so at 

 the critical stage of flowering. This occurs when the fruit is a little more than, half grown, 

 the eye then assuming a pinkish hue, and expanding a little for admitting air to the 

 flowers. If the cultural details prescribed are carefully carried out, the wood of the trees 

 will be in the best condition, and the crops will swell to maturity for use. 



Thinning the Crops. This is one of the most important operations connected with fig 

 culture, but is rarely practised. Outdoor trees are commonly allowed to retain all the 

 second-crop figs until the autumn, but they are positively useless, and instead of bur- 

 dening the trees with them they should be rubbed off as they form in August, or later 

 if they attain the size of horse-beans. Buds that do not become larger than a 

 pea must not be removed, for these are likely to remain in the bud state over the 

 winter, and develop into perfect fruits the following summer. In the case of trees in 

 heated structures the cultivator must be particular in thinning the second crop, allowing 

 no fruits to remain except those near the base of the shoots, and not too many of them 

 there if a full first crop is wanted the following season. Trees forced early, and not too 

 strong, yet expected to give fruit in April or May, should only carry light second crops if 



