178 FRUIT CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



native country. In this country a chalk subsoil and a 

 climate like that near the south coast appear to suit 

 the fig best. There the tree grows and bears as stand- 

 ards. 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 duriag August, September, and Octo- 

 ber. By selecting 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 other 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 con- 

 sists of a hollow fleshy receptacle, with an orifice in 

 the t6p, which is surrounded and nearly closed by a 

 number of imbricated scales — as many as 200, accord- 

 ing to Duhamel. The flowers, unlike those of most 

 fruit-trees, make no outward appearance, but are con- 

 cealed within the fig on its internal surface ; they are 

 male and female, the former situated near the orifice, 

 tlie 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 development ; and provided the stamens are per- 

 fect, fertilisation takes place at that stage of growth. 

 But it often happens that the stamens are imperfect. 



