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CHAPTER XVII. 



FIG CULTURE IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF PARIS. 



Fig culture as practised in the neighbourhood of Paris is 

 very peculiar and interesting, as well as successful, and is, 

 I believe, perfectly well adapted for the southern counties of 

 England. As I hare seen the Pig bearing well as a healthy 

 standard tree at Arundel and elsewhere in Sussex without any 

 attention, there cannot indeed be a doubt that the Parisian 

 mode is perfectly applicable in sunny spots in the south. 

 It might even be carried out on the railway embankments. 

 It may not be amiss to state that the culture is founded 

 upon the habits of the Fig in the climates of Paris and 

 London. In hot countries the Pig is an evergreen tree, 

 growing and bearing almost perpetually. In cold countries 

 the Pig loses its leaves in winter, and becomes in fact a 

 deciduous tree. Then the rudimentary figs borne at the 

 end of each branch, instead of falling off prematurely as 

 most other fruits would do, seem to rest stationary; in the 

 spring they recommence their growth, and ripen off into the 

 large succulent and well-flavoured figs supplied to the Paris 

 market in summer. The French call those figs that require 

 part of two years for their development figues-fleurs ; those 

 formed in spring and which ripen during warm autumns are 

 known as secondes figues, or figues d'automne. These ripen 

 but rarely in the climate of Paris, and it is to the care of the 

 figues-fleurs, or figs formed in the preceding year, that all 

 attention is given. To protect them and the young branches, 

 the trees are trained in long sweeping shoots pretty near the 

 soil, and in such a form that they may be readily interred 

 in the ground when the winter and its dangers come. The 

 frosts are often of great severity in the neighbourhood of 

 Paris ; so great indeed that the Pig would have little or no 



