THE FIG. 189 



TIME AND MANNER OF PLANTING. 



The best time to plant young trees, the preparation 

 of which has just been detailed, is in spring, when 

 they begin to swell their buds, and are about to start 

 into growth. If kept in a cool place, as recommended, 

 this will take place about the end of March or early 

 in April, according to the mildness or coldness of the 

 season. As has already been stated, the counteraction 

 of the fig's natural tendency to a gross unfruitful 

 growth in the younger stages of its progress is always 

 an important point, necessary to the speedy furnishing 

 of a fig-house with fruitful wood. The method of 

 planting must also be directed to this end. Perhaps 

 a less gross growth can be had the first season by just 

 turning the matted balls of roots out of their pots, and 

 inserting them entire into the border, ramming the 

 soil firmly about them. Such a mode of planting any 

 tree is highly objectionable, and in the case of figs 

 there will be strong roots coiled at the very bottom 

 of the balls, which will strike deeply down into the 

 border, leaving the surface parts of it unoccupied with 

 roots for a long time, and consequently less under the 

 control of the cultivator. Moreover, by planting this 

 way there are sure to be some gross roots that will 

 be the means of producing gross shoots in certain 

 parts of the tree. 



The best way is to entirely shake the soil from the 

 roots, carefully disentangle them, and cut closely back 

 all the thickest of them, leaving those only which are 

 more fibry and close to the stem ; and in the opera- 

 tion of planting, to spread these regularly out in the 

 border, covering them with not more than 3 or 4 



