FOR PROFIT. 113 



from becoming ripe enough to resist the rigours of 

 winter. Probably a covering, such as is used for vine 

 borders, would obviate this, by throwing off excess of 

 moisture from the roots. In all cases the soil must 

 be firm, and no stimulants should be used till the 

 fruit is set ; always water very freely. 



FiGS are like Tomatoes and Oysters, a taste for 

 them has to be acquired, and when a person begins 

 to like, becomes greedily fond of them. In many 

 parts of Kent they grow well on Bushes or Standards, 

 notably on the Ramsgate coast on the chalk, or land 

 where there is but little depth of soil, and only require 

 a partial thinning of the branches annually, while 

 along the Southern and Western coasts of Britain 

 they flourish and make trees. They delight in a dry 

 corner; the hardiest are the Brown Turkey and 

 Marseilles, but Osborn's Prolific and others might be 

 tried. The Brunswick gives very large fruits, up to 

 |-lb., but it is a shy bearer. When Fig trees are 

 heavily cropped, a free use of liquid manure in a dry 

 season will assist the fruit into size. As in most 

 large gardens a fig-house is now the rule, there will 

 probably soon be a demand for a cheaper class of 

 fruit ; none is more acceptable on the breakfast table. 

 Good Figs were making, wholesale, 123. per dozen in 

 May, in London. 



A very interesting account of the Fig Orchards in 

 Sussex appeared in the "Garden," May loth, 1890, 

 from which we extract the following notes : " The 

 best kind for open air culture is the Brown Turkey, 

 and the trees are allowed to grow naturally without 

 pruning, and among them is one said to have been 



planted by Thomas a Becket, which has barely 

 K 



