54 NEW ZEALAND GARDENING. 



white and red from the fact that very little pruning is required, 

 this operation being simply confined to thinning out 

 superfluous shoots and cutting out the old exhausted 

 branches. When the bushes begin to grow too large and 

 inclined to straggle, the best plan will be to take out each 

 alternate bush and plant a young one, rooting out the 

 others as soon as the young stock begins to bear. The 

 principal crop of fruit is borne on the annual shoots rather 

 than on the spurs ; means must therefore be taken to excite 

 and sustain a regular sprinkling of such wood all over the 

 tree, and in this case there is not the same necessity for 

 keeping the middle of the bush open as in the red and white 

 currant and gooseberry. Black Naples and Lee's Prolific 

 are good varieties. 



The Fig". Propagated by seeds, layers and cuttings,, 

 by suckers, and by grafting. Almost any moderately-rich 

 soil, provided it is not too dry, will answer for fig trees. 

 Figs cannot be successfully grown against walls or fences un- 

 less attention is paid to disbudding. In vigorous health they 

 always produce a host of superfluous suckers from the roots. 

 On examining the character of the wood as it springs forth, 

 two or three distinct kinds of wood may be clearly traced, 

 One will be found of an over-luxuriant character, long in the 

 joints, and thick or succulent in substance ; a second kind 

 will be found almost as weakly as straws, lanky and spongy ; 

 and a third kind will be found robust, but short-jointed and 

 compact. The last is the kind of wood to reserve for bear- 

 ing. Stopping. Fig trees which bear an abundance of 

 short-jointed wood will require attention in the way of 

 stopping but they are the exception. It is therefore well 

 to stop all those of a doubtful character at the end of 

 February or early in March, merely pinching off or squeezing 

 flat the terminal growing point. This will induce the fruit 

 for the ensuing year to commence forming, so as to receive 

 a decisive character. A too-early stopping with some figs 

 would cause them to develop the fruit for the ensuing year 

 too early, when they would be likely to perish, should the 

 following Winter prove a severe one. Figs may, however, be 

 successfully grown in this climate as standards, with little 

 attention, save an occasional thinning of superfluous shoots 



