742 PEUIT CULTUEE IN FOKEIGN COUNTRIES. 



Irrigation. — Iirigation is only necessary the first and second years 

 after planting. In light soil watering is necessary twenty days after 

 the rains are over and in heavy soil one month thereafter. 



Cultivation. — Plowing is necessary once or twice after the first rains 

 in November and is then to be discontinued untU the 1st of February, 

 after which it is to be repeated four times or every fortnight, after the 

 rains. As soon as the fruits appear no more plowing is necessary. , 



Fertilizers. — The fertilizing substances are : A donkey load of sand 

 around each tree once a year, about the early part of December, if the 

 soil is red, and a small quantity of cow's, or other manure if the soil is 

 white, i. e. clayey. This treatment increases the growth of the trees 

 and the quantity of the fruit. 



PrMMwgi.— Pruning is effected at the end of January by removing the 

 weak and dead branches. To prune the low branches of fig-trees in- 

 creases their growth and pi^oduction. 



Picking. — Gathering or picking takes place when the fi-nit is fully 

 ripe ; when for sale, it is effected either in the evening or before sun- 

 rise, and if for drying, it must be after sunrise, so as to be dry from 

 dew, which would spoil the color of dried figs. 



Curing. — After the figs are gathered they are split open in the morn- 

 ing and placed in an exposed position to the sun for three days, until 

 they contract and assume a red or yellowish tint. They are then gath- 

 ered from the drying-floor, and after being fully flattened out are spread 

 in equal layers in a basket until completely filled up. A heavy weight 

 is then placed on the top of the basket. As to figs dried in a heap, they 

 should be gathered when perfectly dry (in other words when withered 

 on the tree), and spread as they are on the drying-floor for four or five 

 days, at the expiration of which they are picked up and pressed flat 

 between the fingers. This species of dry figs may also be placed in hot 

 water for 10 minutes, then left to dry well in the air before packing up 

 in boxes. This bathing process imparts a good color to the figs and 

 preserves them from worms. Dry figs are never placed in any solution. 



Planting. — The distance between each tree should be at least 9 feet. 

 The larger the distance the better the trees grow. 



Fig-trees are propagated either by suckers or shoots (which grow at 

 the foot of the mother tree) or by slips from the trees. 



(1) The way of transplanting by suckers is to dig a hole in the ground 

 about 15 to 20 inches in diameter and depth in which to place the same, 

 after which the soil is to be so arranged as to be on a level with the sur- 

 rounding ground, or even a little lower, to retain the water. Watering 

 is necessary just after planting. Some people resort to the practice of 

 putting in the hole of the newly planted sucker a handful of barley, to 

 serve as nourishment for the roots. A sucker planted with barley never 

 fails to take root and to thrive. 



(2) To propagate by slips it is necessary that a hole be dug in the 

 ground having an average length of 27 inches by 13 in depth. In this 



