57 



abundant of late, owing to improved methods, which, no doubt, can be still further 

 unproved. 



SOIL AND BITE. 



Fig trees will thrive in our climate, in an open, sunny place, on any good soU. 

 They require less care, and bear fair crops, on a rich sandy loam, with a gravel sub- 

 soil, but I have had the best and most abundant, and regular crops, from clay land, 

 prepared as hereinafter described.* 



VARIETIES. 



I can only speak positively of two— the small purple and la'ge yellow kinds— which, 

 however, are among the best. The yellow is the common fig of commerce, and has 

 been in my garden about eighteen years. At first, I thought it required more protec- 

 tion in the winter than the purple, but, of late years, I do not find any difference. It 

 is a very vigorous grower and profuse bearer ; puts on its fruit soon after being set. 

 up in the spring, as below described ; bears one main crop, which here (Lat. 39° 20') 

 begins to ripen about the middle of July, and lasts three or four weeks, a part swell- 

 ing and ripening every day ; for it is a peculiarity of the fig, that it doubles its size 

 during the four or five last days of its ripening. 



If the season be favorable, the trees continue to bear a few scattering figs, until 

 October. The main crop is sometimes injured by frost, though very rarely, for owing 

 to the extreme simplicity of its organization, (it has no exterior blossoms^) the fig will 

 bear without injury in a degree of cold destructive to the blossoms of many Northern 

 fruits. In order to avoid frosts, I have sometimes deferred taking up yellow fig trees 

 until late in May, but they did not do so well. I have also dried some of the yellow 

 figs successfully, but have not experience enough to advise as to the best mode of 

 drying. 



The first crop of the small purple fig usually drops off unripe. That this was also 

 its habit in Palestine, is shown by one of the striking images of the Apocalypse, vi. 13 ; 



"And "the stars of Heaven fell unto the earth, even as the fig-tree casteth her un- 

 timely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind." 



What few remain of the early crop, ripen at the same time with the yellow fig. 

 The main crop of the small purple fig, is entirely safe from frost, for it does not begin 

 to set till June and ripens about the middle of August, when it usually bears abun- 

 dantly, with a succession of crops until about the middle of October. 



Both these varieties are delicious fruits, either taken fresh from the tree, as I like 

 them best, or eaten with sugar and cream, as some prefer them. Both are more to be 

 depended upon for certain and abundant crops, than any other garden fruit I know. 

 They begin to bear ripe fruit in two years from the root and three years from the Slip. 



My success of late, has been attributed, by some, to the fact that, during my many 

 years of experiments, the fig trees have become acclimated. I do not think so, but 

 attribute my success chiefly to improved modes of culture and protection. And, be- 

 lieving that roots and slips, wherever procured, will thrive with proper treatment, I 

 hope that many new kinds may be introduced, and that any fig-growers who may read 

 *Jns article will inform me of their measure of success ahd mode of treatment. 



PREPARING ROOTS AND SLIPS TOR PLANTING. 



The best time to procure the roots and slips, is in October and early in November. 

 If packed even slightly in moss, rags, or paper, they will, at that season, remain out 

 of the ground many days without injury. But, so soon as received, they should be 

 laid down in a shallow trench, and covered about six inches with a mound of earth, 

 rounded over to turn the wet, with a layer of two or three inches of rotten chips, or 

 other litter above all. Roots 'and slips treated in this way and set out about tlie first 

 of May, as' soon as taken up, seldom fail to grow vigorously from the start. When 



* Thot ficr trpes will do well North of Lat. 45<>, I have the testimony of an eminent agriculturist, the 

 xt iS«r«M P Wilder former President of the Agricultural Society of the United States,and known 



°^5kl_rfi.rhi« skiliand success as a fruit-grower. In a letter just received, dated Dorchester, 

 everywhere ror nw a* "Thanks for the papers on the culture of the fig. I had not forgotten 



Ma88 ^?thn,1 andwith it a neighbor gets good crops without difficulty." The results of my expert. 

 y »a wifh flffs were given to Col. Wilder several years ago, and sinee then some important Improre- 

 m™te in my methodsW been made. 



