FIGS AS HALF STANDARDS OR BUSHES 121 



Filbert or Kentish Cob and its varieties. The purple- 

 leaved filbert, generally planted as an ornamental shrub, 

 may also be grafted ; it gives nuts equal to the common 

 filbert, and forms a nice ornamental standard. 



Standard nuts require but little culture ; they soon 

 form round heads, and bear profusely. Care must be 

 taken to destroy all suckers from the stem and root. 



The only pruning required is, in the winter, to thin 

 out the crowded shoots, and shorten to half their length 

 those that are inclined to be vigorous — ^that is, those 

 that are more than nine inches, in length. The short 

 spray-like shoots must not be shortened, as they are the 

 fruit-givers. 



Standard nuts planted in rich garden soils soon make 

 trees too large for small gardens. If, therefore, they are 

 found to grow too vigorously, they should be lifted and 

 planted biennially in November. 



FIGS AS HALF STANDAEDS OE BUSHES 



There is, perhaps, no fruit tree that disappoints the 

 amateur fruit grower so much as the fig. If planted in 

 the open borders of the garden, it soon grows into an 

 enormous fruitless bush or tree, and if placed against 

 a wall, unless a very large space can be given to it, but 

 little fruit must be expected. 



It may, however, be made eligible for small gardens. 



