THE FIG. 249 



garden belonged knew nothing of the history of these 

 trees; but an old inhabitant of the village told us that 

 he thought they had been planted about forty years. 



With the requisite degree of care, figs may be 

 readily obtained in this country in a hothouse; but 

 they require a mode of cultivation so peculiar, that if 

 it is wished to procure them in perfection they ought 

 to be cultivated along with no other fruit, and then 

 two or three crops may be gathered. 



Of the fig-tree, botanists now describe very many 

 species. One of these, the banian tree (Ficus Indica) 

 deserves notice, not as a fruit tree, but from its being 

 a sacred tree with the Hindoos in the East Indies, 

 from the vast size that it attains, and from the singu 

 larity of its growth. The fruit does not exceed that of 

 a hazel nut in bigness; but the lateral branches send 

 down shoots which take root, till, in course of time, a 

 single tree extends itself to a considerable grove. This 

 remarkable tree was known to the ancients. Strabo 

 mentions that after the branches have extended about 

 twelve feet horizontally, they shoot down in the di-r 

 rection of the earth, and there root themselves; and 

 when they have attained maturity, they propagate 

 onward in the same manner, till the whole becomes 

 like a tent supported by many columns. This tree 

 is also noticed by Pliny with a minute accuracy, 

 which has been confirmed by the observations of 

 modern travellers; and Milton has rendered the de-r 

 scription of the ancient naturalist almost literally in 

 the following beautiful passage: 



" Branching so broad along, that in the ground 



The bending twigs take root ; and daughters grow 

 About the mother tree ; a pillared shade. 

 High over-arched, with echoing walks between. 

 There oft the Indian herdsman, shunning heat, 

 Shelters in cool ; and tends his pasturing herds 

 At loop-holes cut through thickest shade/' 



Some specimens of the Indian fig-tree are mentioned 

 n 4 



