CHAPTER VI 



THE FIG 



By OWEN THOMAS 



The industry of fig culture in Britain may be said to be centred in Worthing. 

 There are other localities upon the south coast that one would imagine to be 

 equally well suited for fig culture, but yet the fact remains that the majority of 

 home-grown green figs sent to Covent Garden Market come from Worthing, 

 and these are all grown in the open. Those who have never visited the Worth- 

 ing fig orchards are astonished to learn of the size, age, and vigour this tree 

 attains there. Even in cottage gardens in the immediate neighbourhood the fig 

 tree thrives remarkably well. It is in and around the small village of Sompting 

 that the chief market supply of figs is obtained. The trees are here planted in 

 groves, irregular now because some have died and been replaced by younger 

 trees, and many of them are 20 feet high and as much through. They are not 

 allowed to grow higher than this, otherwise the labour of gathering the fruit 

 would be increased. On an average the trees are about eighty years old ; some 

 there are considerably over a hundred years of age, while others are appreciably 

 less. It is surprising to learn how little attention these fig trees receive beyond 

 the removal of branches when they are quite close to the ground, and therefore 

 almost useless and very inconvenient by reason of their preventing access to the 

 centre of the tree, so essential at the gathering season ; dead or unfruitful wood 

 also has, of course, to be cut away. They receive practically no manure, yet it 

 is rarely that a satisfactory crop of fruit is not produced by these remarkable and 

 aged trees ; some seasons, of course, are more conducive to a full crop than others. 

 Late spring frosts do considerable damage sometimes when the fruits are quite 

 small. Only one crop of fruit is obtained each year, and gathering commences 

 about the second week in August as a rule, and is not really over until the 

 middle of October, although the fruits gathered then are not so fine as those 

 picked earlier in the season. The fig gardens at Tarring, near Worthing, 

 half an acre or so in extent, are extremely quaint and interesting. The central 

 pathway is bordered on either side with picturesque old trees that have a de- 

 lightful and unique effect. The branches extend over the path to such an 

 extent that in some places they almost meet. In the large irregular square beds 

 formed by the surrounding walks are also fig trees, and many of the specimens 

 are of great age and vigour. These gardens have a peculiarly interesting history, 

 as the following extract from an old local book, " Sussex Industries," will 

 show : — "The Tarring Fig Gardens, as a garden, date back to the year 1745. 

 It is on record that the sainted Bishop of Chichester, Richard de la Wych, 



