CHAPTER VII. 



THE PRUNING AND RENOVATION OF THE FIG. 



In the southern and western counties of England the 

 treatment of the Fig differs considerably from that of 

 the northern part of the country. In the latter it 

 must be grown under glass to insure a crop of early 

 Figs, or if grown on open walls it has to be matted up 

 through the winter to preserve the young green fruit 

 if possible. However, the chances are often but poor, 

 should the winter prove a protracted or frosty one. 

 But in the West of England, where the Fuchsia and the 

 Myrtle attain to the size of a low tree, and Geraniums 

 survive the winter for several successive seasons, in 

 the mild counties of Devon and Cornwall, the Fig bears 

 well and ripens to perfection on open walls as well as 

 on standard trees, without any protection through the 

 winter, the young Figs remaining on the tree and 

 ripening very early, and the second crop ripening also. 



The pruning of the Fig may be described as similar 

 to that of the Grape Vine. The fruit comes on the 

 young wood in the same manner, only there is this 

 difference, that the late crop will remain on the 

 ripened wood through the winter if the climate will 

 admit of it, and then ripen very early, while the Vine 

 makes the wood, and ripens the fruit at one and the 

 same time, there being no second crop, or tendency to 

 bear fruit on the late young wood, as there is in the 

 Fi<r. This makes some difference in the mode of 

 pruning. 



Fig. 42 shows the manner of close pruning a 



D 



