FIG 



[ 349 



FIG 



One of the prettiest of our native early spring 

 flowers. Hardy tubers. Division.of the tuberous 

 roots at any time, but best when the plant is 

 pushing afresh. The garden varieties, as well as 

 the common one, do best under the shade of trees. 

 F. ve'rna (spring). 4- Yellow. May. Britain. 



pa'llida(\>*\K-flowered). 4- Pale yellow. 



May. 



pie! no, (double-lowered). 4. Yellow. May. 



Britain. 



Fi'cus. Fig-tree. (The fig-tree has 

 nearly the same name in all the Euro- 

 pean languages, and is supposed to be 

 derived from the Hebrew name fag. 

 Nat. ord., Morads [Moracese], Linn., 23- 

 Polygamia 2-Dicecia. ) 



Besides the cultivated figs, there axC % vast 

 number of other species b-V ^nging to Ficus, all 

 natives of the tropics, where they arrest the atten- 

 tion of the traveller either by their grateful shade, 

 their enormous growth, or by their manner of 

 sending down roots from their branches to sup- 

 port and extend their distorted arms, as in the 

 Banyan-tree. By layers and cuttings ; by the 

 latter mode in the case of greenhouse and stove 

 species. In either case, dry the cut ends before 

 inserting them in sandy soil, but not removing 

 more of the leaves than those at the joint cut 

 through ; in each case.place ahand-light over them. 

 For the stove species there should be the addition 

 of a hotbed ; peat and loam will suit them well, 

 the latter should preponderate when compactness 

 of growth is desirable. F. ela'stica is. the India- 

 rubber plant. F. Ca'rica, the cultivated fig, is 

 the only one hardy enough to bear our climate. 

 Most ol the stove species will do in a warm green- 

 house. See FIG. 



GREENHOUSE EVEEGREENS. 

 f . Cape'nsis (Cape). 4. Cape of Good Hope. 1816. 



Ca'rica (Carian. Common Fig). 15. June. 



South Europe. 1548. Deciduous. 



corda'ta (heart-/eawed). 6. Cape of Good Hope. 



1802. 



macrophy'lla (large-leaved). 14. N. Holland. 



pu'milu (dwarf). 4. China. 1759. Trailer. 



stipula'ta (stipulate). 4- China. 1771. Creeper. 



STOVE EVERGREENS. 

 F. arbutifo'lia (arbutus-leaved). March. 1825. 



nurnnti'aca (orange-like). 10. 1824. 



Benjami'na (Benjamin-tree). 10. E. Ind. 1/57. 



coria'cea (le&thery- leaved). 10. E. Ind. 17/2. 



corona' ta (crowned). 6. June. 1800. 



crassine'rvia (thick-nerved). 10. S.Amer. 1823. 



dvmo'ta (bushy). 6. 1825. 



eln'stica (elastic-gwm). 20. E. Ind. 1815. 



elli'ptica (oval). 20. S.Amer. 1824. 



Hooktfri( Hooker's). 6. W. Ind. 1816. 



infecto'ria (staining). 15. W. Ind. 1763. 



laniga'ta (polished), 6. W. Ind. 1823. 



ttucoto'ma (white-cleft). 20. E. Ind. 1763. 



Hchtenstei'nii (Liechtenstein's). 3. Cape of 



Good Hope. 1824; 



Loga'nii (Logan's). 20< Caraccas. 1824. 



langifo'lia (long-leaved). 20. E. Ind. 1825. 



myrtifo'lia (myrtle-leaved). 4. 1824. 



nympheeifo'tia (water-lily-leaved). 10. E. Ind. 



1759. 



obtusifo'lia (blunt-leaved). 20. Mexico. 1823. 



(tppositifoflia (opposite-leaved). 4. E. Ind. 



1802. 



pertu'sa(piKTce&-leaved). 8. S.Amer. 1/80. 



popu'lnea, (poplar-team*). 12. S. Arner. 1812. 



F. raremo'sn (racemed). 4. E. Ind. 1759. 



religin'an i religious. Banyan-tree). 25. E. Ind. 



1731. 



re'pens (creeping-stemmed). $. E. Ind. 1805. 



Creeper. 

 rubine'rviti (red-nerved). 10. Brazil. 1824. 



sagittu'ta (arrow-head-teaued). A. E. Ind, 



1810. Creeper. 



tincto'ria (dyeing). 14. May. Society Isles. 



1793. 



urophy'lla (tail-leaved). 2. June. India. 1829. 



veno'sa (veiny-/eay<?d). 10. E. Ind. 1763. 



viscifo'lia (clammy-leaved). 10. 1820. 



FIDDLE -WOOD. Cithare'xylnm. 



FIE'LDIA. (Named after Ba ron Field, 

 once chief judge of New South Wales. 

 Nat. ord., Gesnerworts [Gesneracese], 

 Linn., \4t-Didynamia 1 - Gymiiospermia. 

 Allied to Cyrtandra.) 



Greenhouse climber ; cuttings of points of 

 shoots getting a little firm, or, better still, firm 

 side-shoots, about two inches in length, IB sandy 

 soil, under a bell-glass, kept shaded, and after a 

 fortnight placed in a mild bottom-heat ; peat and 

 loam, with a little sand, and pieces of charcoal. 

 Winter temp., 40 to 43. 



F. austra'lis (southern). 1. White. July. N 

 Holland. 1826. 



FIG. Fi'cus Ca'rica. 



Varieties. For forcing, we recommend 

 the Brown Turkey, or Lee's Perpetual, 

 Pregussata, and White Marseilles. The 

 Nerii is also well spoken of. To plant 

 out-doors, the Brunswick, Brown Turkey, 

 Brown Ischia, Black Ischia, and Pregus- 

 sata. 



Propagation. The fig roots so firmly 

 by cuttings, that few resort to any other 

 mode. They propagate, however, as freely 

 by layers. Some persons, also, have 

 raised them from seed, but it does not ap- 

 pear that they are valuable, though new 

 kinds have been originated by such 

 means. Cuttings of ripe wood, about 

 three or four inches long, planted in pots 

 in January or February, and plunged in 

 any ordinary bottom-heat, will make very 

 nice plants during the same summer. 

 Those for forcing in pots or boxes must 

 be potted off when rooted, and again 

 plunged in bottom warmth, and the 

 highest course of culture pursued, shift- 

 ing them when necessary. Those who 

 plant on the open walls should do so in 

 the middle of March ; and if the plants 

 are from pots, the roots must be uncoiled 

 and spread nicely out. Many persons 

 who have established trees merely take 

 suckers away from them ; such only need 

 fastening in the soil, and, it may be, a 

 shading when they begin to grow. 



Soil. The fig will thrive in almost, any 

 ordinary garden-soil, but it is said to pro,- 



