384 



CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



found unfit for drying. The second, and, in some localities, the 

 third crop, appearing later in the season, when the moisture 

 supply of the soil is reduced, dry well. This condition of the first 

 crop is, however, affected by local conditions, for there are places 

 in the Sierra foot-hills where the soil moisture has to be replen- 

 ished early in the season by irrigation to prevent even the first 

 crop from falling prematurely, and subsequent irrigation brings 

 to perfection the second and third crops. The fig tree needs 

 plenty of moisture in the soil, but not too much. As with other 

 fruits, if the soil does not retain the needed amount naturally, it 

 must be supplied by irrigation wisely administered. 



PROPAGATION OF THE FIG 



The fig grows very rapidly from cuttings, and this is the chief 

 method of propagation. Cuttings should be made while the tree is 

 fully dormant, in the winter, of well-matured wood of the previous 

 season's growth, giving preference to the stocky, short-jointed 

 shoots, and making the cuttings about six to eight inches in length. 

 The cut at the lower end should be made at the joint, or where solid 

 wood is found. The planting and care of the cuttings is essentially 

 the same as of vine cuttings, already described. If well made and 

 cared for, a very satisfactory growth is made the first season, and 

 the trees are ready for planting out in permanent place the follow- 

 ing season. 



Single Bud Cuttings. If one desires to multiply a new variety 

 very rapidly, single-eye cuttings will make plants. This is, also, 

 analogous to single-eye grape cuttings, as already described. 



Budding the Fig. The foregoing means enable one to propa- 

 gate a fig so rapidly that recourse is not had to budding, as in 

 propagating other trees; still, budding is feasible, either on small 

 plants or on young shoots of old trees which it is described to bud 

 over. 



The fig may be budded by the common shield method, as used 

 for ordinary fruit trees, and described in Chapter IX, but owing to 

 the tendency of the fig bark to shrink in drying, the bud should be 

 closely bound in with a narrow waxed band, to exclude the air. As 

 the bark is thick, it is often desirable to cut out a little of the edges 

 closest to the bud when in place. 



Another method of budding the fig is by annular or "ring bud- 

 ding," a method also relied upon with the walnut and chestnut. 

 Annular budding is done in the fall. A circular ring of bark is 

 taken off from the stock by the aid of a budding knife, by running 

 two circular cuts around the stock, and a longitudinal one between 

 the two circular cuts ; the ring- of bark taken off must be at least one 

 inch wide, and from that up to two inches. A like ring of bark is 

 taken off in the same manner from a scion of the variety to be bud- 





