404 FIG CULTURE IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF PARIS. 



In the spring of the seventh year the lateral branches Jj 

 each stem are treated like those of the preceding year 

 The other operations are similar to those already described. 

 The principal branches are allowed to grow longer every 

 year, taking care to allow the fruit-bearing shoots, which 

 are replaced from year to year, like those of the Peach tree, 

 to remain at regular intervals. When the branches have 

 grown to the length of from six to nine feet, their growth 



should be checked, other- 

 wise the sap will desert 

 the fruit-bearing branches 

 at the sides, and so cause 

 them to wither away. 

 When sufficiently long 

 the principal are treated 

 in the same way as di- 

 rected for the side 

 branches. 



The earthing up to 

 which the branches of the 

 Fig tree are subjected 

 every year causes them 

 to grow iu a horizontal 

 direction a foot or eigh- 

 teen inches from the 



Tree after the gathering of S* ™" 1 - ™ S is an <&■ 



the crop. C bears the young Figs for the men t Of Success, for on 



coming year's crop; D is pinched back the one hand the fruit 

 to help the ripening of some of the Figs l 



of the current year ; and the fruit has nearest to the ground 



^cut^B. rcdfr ° mt!ienakedsh00t ' ,Thich ^ceives the greater part 



of the heat and ripens 

 readily, and on the other the sap is more evenly distri- 

 buted amongst the different side branches The Ar- 

 genteml Fig trees begin to bear when they are six years 

 old, and are in full perfection at ten years. They live a long 

 time, but it is necessary to renew the long and old stems, 

 which wear out every twelve or fifteen years. For this pur- 

 pose the requisite number of shoots are allowed to grow on 

 the parent stem to replace those which are cut away in the 



