160 WHYTOCK—THE CULTIVATION OF 
grown, or according to size of roof-space. I have seen a fig- 
tree covering the whole back wall of a very large vinery, and the 
roots confined to a space six feet long by two feet broad; fresh 
soil was put in each year, and with good manure waterings 
heavy crops were grown each year. The intersections being 
built, two tile-drains should be laid on the concrete of each com- 
partment, and about eight or nine inches of broken stones laid 
over the whole floor for drainage, with fresh sods, grass-side down, | 
laid all over stones. 
What kind of soil do figs grow best in? The fig has a ten- 
dency in good rich soil to grow too gross wood. That does not 
ripen, and hence will not give fruit. A light soil well mixed 
with lime-rubbish is best. The depth of border for fig-trees 
should not be more than two feet, and in making a new border 
eighteen to twenty inches will be deep enough to begin with. 
The roots should be all on the surface of the border, and should 
get very frequently top-dressings of soil, bone-meal, and approved 
artificial manure. By this, in course of years, the border will get 
deeper, but the roots ever in the right direction keeping upward. 
I will now treat of the raising of the young fig-trees and pre- 
paration for planting. 3 
Raising plants from cuttings is the best method. Select for 
cuttings straight, short-jointed, well-ripened wood of the previous 
season. Each cutting should be eight or nine inches long with 
a strong terminal bud, and in detaching the cutting from the 
plant take with it an inch or two of the two-year-old wood. 
Insert the cuttings singly in four-inch pots, and plunge in a 
bottom-heat fairly strong, but the atmospheric temperature 
should not exceed 60°. This proper balancing of atmospheric 
and bottom-heat is very important. Should the atmospheric 
temperature be high the cuttings shoot into growth before 
making roots. It is better that they make roots first and the 
growth afterwards—sturdy and short-jointed. The time for 
putting in the cuttings is the middle of February, and they must 
be shaded until rooted. When four-inch pots are filled with 
roots, shift into six-inch pots, using turfy loam but no manure. 
The cuttings will grow away quickly now without bottom-heat. 
At this stage it is important to prepare your young plants with 
a good clean stem of twelve inches, otherwise the plants will 
