1 82 FRUIT CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



to be counteracted by the constituents of which the 

 border is formed. Two parts loamy soil — such as has 

 been recommended for vines, but lighter — and one 

 part old lime -rubbish, without manure of any sort, 

 forms a border sufficiently rich for several years with- 

 out any assistance but water, and it forms an excellent 

 channel for applying manure either by top-dressing or 

 in a liquid form when such becomes necessary. Tliese 

 two constituents should be thoroughly mixed together, 

 in a dry state, before being put into the bed. If loam 

 fresh and turfy cannot be procured, common garden- 

 soil that is not highly impregnated with manure can 

 be substituted with success — for, as has been already 

 remarked, the fig is not by any means fastidious. 



Where the subsoil is clayey, or cold and damp, the 

 roots should not have access to it, therefore the whole 

 of the site should be effectually concreted. To have 

 the individual trees entirely under control, the site for 

 the soil should be intersected by walls formed of brick 

 to separate the roots of each tree entirely from those of 

 its fellows. This leaves the cultivator every chance 

 of treating individual varieties and trees as circum- 

 stances may suggest, without interfering with any 

 other. The width of these spaces should be deter- 

 mined by the length of roof or rafter. For such as is 

 represented by fig. 18, each compartment may be from 

 10 to 12 feet, that being sufficient space for each tree. 

 Immediately over the concrete two efficient tile-drains 

 from each compartment should be led into the main 

 drain running underneath the pathway. Over the 

 whole bottom broken bricks or road-metal to the depth 

 of 8 inches should be laid, and blinded with some finer 

 material, such as coarse sandless gravel. With a turf 

 grassy side downwards all over this drainage, the site 



