JVoics and Gleanings. 369 



good variety under all conditions that I have found. White Marseilles comes 

 second, although it is never very rich. 



Hardiness. — This is a point of tlie utmost importance. It is exceedingly 

 important to discover what are the varieties most suitable for cultivation in the 

 open air in this country. I have not yet had time to prove much in this respect. 

 The county of Sussex, as is well known, is famed for its fig-trees. In the gar- 

 dens at Arundel Castle, the White Marseilles, called there White Geneva, suc- 

 ceeds admirably as an open standard. I have eaten some exceedingly good 

 tVuit of that variety grown on these trees : and I am toU, that, in some of the 

 warmest seasons, they ripen off two crops of fruit ; but this is rather unusual. 

 The Black or Blue Ischia is the next hardiest variety that has been proved; 

 then, on walls, Lee's Perpetual or Brown Turkey ; and, lastly, the Brunswick. 

 These four constitute the whole of the stock of hardy figs I have met with 

 suited for open-air cultivation. It must be borne in mind that our seasons are 

 far too short to allow of the fig producing more than the first crop of fruit. 

 Almost all the fruits that ripen out of doors in this country are produced on the 

 shoots of the former season's growth : therefore I think all varieties that pro- 

 duce their crop in this manner will prove suitable for open-air cultivation. I 

 know of only two others that are possessed of this property of "first bearing" 

 (as it is called in fig countries), which I can recommend for cultivating in the 

 open air : they are Grosse Monstrueuse de Lipari and De la Madeleine, both of 

 which bear a good first crop, and very rarely the second. 



Fruitf Illness. — Asa general rule, the smallest varieties are the most pro- 

 lific. Of these, White Ischia, Black Provence, and (Eil de Perdrix, bear fruit 

 as profusely as an ordinary gooseberry-bush. Some others, again, although 

 they may never seem so laden with fruit at any one time, yet, through bearing 

 continuously, produce an immense quantity during the course of the season. 

 Of these the most prominent are, perhaps, Brown Turkey or Lee's Perpetual, 

 and White Marseilles. 



Season of 7' ip citing. — In order to keep up a rich and varied supply of the 

 choicest fruits, the varieties must be selected according to their various seasons 

 of ripening, so as to avoid a glut at one time, succeeded by a scarcity. When 

 a house is devoted to the cultivation of the fig in pots, and the collection is 

 limited to, say, fifty plants, the following is my selection of varieties ; and these 

 will (supposing them to be started in March) keep up an almost continuous sup- 

 ply of ripe fruit from the end of June to Christmas. They are put into groups, 

 showing how they will give a supply of fruit for each month. July. — White 

 Marseilles, De la Madeleine, Grosse Monstrueuse de Lipari, and Lee's Perpet- 

 ual. August. — White Marseilles, Lee's Perpetual, Versailles, De Lipari. Sep- 

 tember. — White Ischia, Grosse Violette de Bourdeaux, Black Provence, Grosse 

 Verte, Bourjassotte Grise, Col de Signora Blanca, De I'Archipel, and the second 

 croj) of White Marseilles and Lee's Perpetual. October. — White Ischia, Black 

 Provence, Grosse Verte, Bourjassotte Grise, Col de Signora Blanca, and Col 

 de Signora Nera. November. — White Ischia, Grosse Verte, Lee's Perpetual, 

 D'Agen. December. — White Ischia, and D'Agen, which is the latest of all. 



Chiswick. a. F. Barron. 



