1/8 FRUIT CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



climate like that near the south coast appear to suit the 

 fig best. There the tree grows and bears as standards. 

 They are liable, however, to be killed to the ground in 

 winters of excessive severity, but they spring up afresh 

 from the roots. There was an orchard not exceeding 

 three-quarters of an acre at Sarring, near Worthing, in 

 Sussex, containing 100 standard fig-trees. About 100 

 dozen ripe figs were usually gathered daily from these 

 trees during August, September, and October. By select- 

 ing similarly-favoured spots, it may be fairly concluded 

 that this country could supply itself with abundance of 

 fresh figs. As for dry ones, they are obtained in large 

 quantities from Turkey, the Mediterranean, and othei 

 countries, but the supply for centuries back has chiefly 

 been from Turkey. The import has been as much as 

 1000 tons a-year, and now that the duty is taken off, 

 the quantity imported will doubtless be much greater. 



" The inflorescence and the fruit of the fig are very 

 distinct in their character from other fruits. It consists 

 of a hollow fleshy receptacle, with an orifice in the top, 

 which is surrounded and nearly closed by a number ot 

 imbricated scales — as many as 200, according to Du- 

 hameL The flowers, unlike those of most fruit-trees, 

 make no outward appearance, but are concealed within 

 the fig on its internal surface ; they are male and 

 female, the former situated near the orifice, the latter 

 in that part of the concavity next the stalk. On cutting 

 open a fig when it has attained little more than one- 

 third of its size, the flowers will be seen in full develop- 

 ment ; and provided the stamens are perfect, fertilisation 

 takes place at that stage of growth. But it often 

 happens that the stamens are imperfect, and no seeds 

 are formed, nevertheless the fruit swells and ripens." * 

 * Liudley's Treasury of Botany. 



