218 TIIE FRUIT GARDEN. [March. 



either by placing the boxes of plants in the green-house, or in gar- 

 den frames. When a year old they may be planted out as directed 

 for cuttings, and treated afterwards in the same way. This will 

 be the best method to obtain new kinds; the seeds of the imported 

 li^s will grow freely if properly treated: they are to be covered 

 when sown only about the eighth of an inch deep. 



Layers or cuttings are preferable to suckers, as they are not so 

 subject to produce suckers from their roots, after being finally 

 planted, as the others. 



Fig-trees may be trained in half or whole standards, and plant- 

 ed detached in sheltered sunny situations, keeping them free from 

 suckers, permitting their heads to branch regularly around, and 

 they will produce ripe fruit in good perfection: they produce more 

 and better in a strong dry loamy soil than in a sandy parched one, 

 (though in soil they are easily pleased, provided it does not lodge 

 water;) for when planted in the latter, they are subject to cast their 

 fruit in May and June, which, under such circumstances, in some 

 measure, may be prevented by frequent waterings at that season: 

 where they thrive well, they usually produce two crops in the sea- 

 son; the first on the former year's wood, and the second on the 

 young shoots of the present, which is generally the most abundant. 



The following are the varieties of this fruit that are generally 

 considered as best worth cultivating, and are placed in the order 

 of their ripening. 



1. The brown or chestnut coloured Ischia fig. The fruit is 

 very large, globular, with a pretty large eye, pinched in near the 

 foot-stalk, of a brown or chestnut colour on the outside, and 

 purple w'-thin; the grains are large, and the pulp sweet and high 

 ilavoured. 



2. The black Genoa fig. This is a long fruit, which swells 

 pretty large at the top, the lower part slender; the skin of a dark 

 purple colour, almost black, has a purple farina over it like that 

 on some plums; the inside is of a bright red, and the flesh is very 

 highly flavoured. 



3. The small white early fig. This has a roundish fruit a little 

 flatted at the crown, with a short foot-stalk; skin when ripe, of a 

 pale yellowish colour, and thin; the inside white, flesh sweet, but 

 not highly flavoured. 



4. The large white Genoa fig. This is a large globular fruit, a 

 little lengthened towards the stalk; skin thin, of a yellowish colour 

 when ripe, and flesh red. 



5. The black Ischia fig. Fruit short, middle sized, a little 

 flatted at the crown; skin almost black when ripe: flesh of a deep 

 red, and highly flavoured. 



6. The Malta fig. Fruit small, compressed at the top; greatly 

 pinched towards the foot-stalk; skin a pale brown colour; flesh 

 the same, and very sweet. 



7. The Murrey or brown Naples liu;. Fruit, large and globular, 

 of a light brown colour, with some faint marks of a dirty white; 

 flesh nearly of the same colour, and well flavoured; grains large. 



8. The green Ischia fig. Fruit oblong, almost globular at the 



