52 



THE FRUIT GARDEN 



grafted fruit trees at Tarring with his own hand, and it is presumed these were 

 fig trees. The Tarring Fig Gardens can show a plantation of 1 00 to 200 

 trees, and 2000 dozen excellent fruits or so are produced annually, besides a 

 mass of small ones. In summer the garden looks thoroughly un-English. 

 Dense foliage produces deep shade, which adds to the picturesque effect, giving 

 fictitious length to the walks and making the half-acre assume the proportions 



Portion of a Branch Showing Characteristic Growths and Mode 

 OF Bearing 



{r) Three-year-old wood ; [s) pinched side shoots of previous summer (each shoot was then 

 stopped at the fifth leaf), on these the first crop (and only one outdoors) of figs is produced, 

 ripening outdoors in August or September ; (/) current year's shoots, which may be pinched 

 and retained for another year (if under glass, and forced from February or earlier, will pro- 

 duce a second crop) ; («) previous summer's (two-year-old) continuation of branch bearing 

 first crop of figs ; (v) side shoots which may either be pinched to form spurs, or allowed to 

 extend where space admits for furnishing the tree with bearing wood, and on which the 

 first and only crop of figs outdoors is produced the following season ; (w) extension of 

 branch growth, which may be trained in full length, if space admits, or be pinched where 

 space is limited, or when desirable, as commonly is the case, to ensure a fruitful habit and 

 assure the swelling of the first crop. 



of a forest. The trees are not allowed to grow high, nor are the branches 

 thinned, the object is to produce a mass of overshadowing foliage. They like 

 heat but not exposure to the sun. The manure is put on sparingly in spring 

 and in a fluid state. Of several varieties grown, White Marseilles is the most 

 valued and luscious. The variety Ischia is said in hot summers to ripen to a 

 brick-red colour, and is supposed to be identical with the historic red fig which 

 King James tasted with pleasure in the Dean's garden at Winchester. Brown 

 Turkey is also grown. The harvesting or picking of the figs begins early in 



