212 



THE GARDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



Wcrders Early Black Heart. — Fruit large, obtusely 

 heart-shaped, black; flesh purplish, firm, juicy, and sweet. 

 A tolerably good bearer, and ripens before May Duke. 



Archduke. — Tree vigorous, pendulous, and free-bearing. 

 Fruit large, nearly an inch in diameter, inclining to heart - 

 shape, dark-red, becoming almost black if allowed to hang; 

 flesh very tender, rich, and briskly flavoured. Ripens 

 middle to end of July. Good for walls and as a low 

 standard. 



Belle de Choisy. — Tree vigorous, spreading. Fruit large, 

 roundish, oblate, red and amber; flesh amber, tender, very 

 rich and sweet. Ripens early in July. An excellent 

 Cherry as regards quality, but not a first-rate bearer. Is 

 said to have been found near Paris about 1760. 



Belle de Magnifiuue. — Tree semi-erect, forming a good 

 pyramid, and very prolific. Fruit very large, handsome, 

 clear bright-red; flesh tender, juicy, and sub-acid. Ripens 

 middle to end of August. 



Bidtner's October Morello. — Fruit medium, roundish 

 or oblate, dark brown-red; flesh pale-red, tender, acid. 

 Ripens in October. Tree hardy, and a good bearer, and 

 is deserving of cultivation as the latest Cherry which 

 may be used for pies and for preserving. 



Eiujjvcss Euycnic. — Tree a moderately strong grower 

 and a very free bearer. Fruit large, roundish, bright-red, 

 purplish when fully ripe ; flesh rather firm, but melting, 

 very juicy, sugary, and refreshing. Ripens end of July. 

 Forces well, and is also good for wall and garden trees. 

 A serious defect is its liability to gumming. 



Flemish. — Tree more upright than Kentish, but does 

 not bear so abundantly; the fruit is sometimes larger. 

 As Kentish answers ever}' purpose for which this is 

 adapted, and is more prolific, it is the more extensively 

 cultivated of the two. 



Kentish (Common Red. Pie Cherry, Sussex). — Fruit 

 medium, round or oblate, bright-red, sometimes darker; 

 flesh pale, very juicy, and acid. Ripens end of July. An 

 abundant bearer, much cultivated as a standard, some- 

 times on a north wall. 



Late Duke. — Tree vigorous, with spreading habit. Fruit 

 large, roundish heart-shaped, shining -red; flesh amber- 

 coloured, tender, juicy, and rich, more acid than May ! 

 Duke. Ripens in August, when most tender -fleshed 

 Cherries are over. A most abundant bearer as a stan- 

 dard, and deserves a place upon a wall, where it can be 

 netted when in fruit. 



May Duke. — Tree erect. Fruit huge, roundish, dark- 

 red when well exposed ; flesh red, tender, juicy, and rich. 

 Ripe on standards in July, or in late June on walls. A 

 good bearer, well adapted for forcing. 



Morello. — Tree round-headed, with spreading or pen- 

 dulous branches. Fruit large, obtusely heart - shaped, 

 somewhat compressed, dark-red, becoming nearly black 

 if allowed to hang ; flesh deep purplish-red, tender, juicy, 

 and acid. Ripens in July or August, but may be pre- 

 served on a tree against a wall till October. One of the 

 most useful for preserving; bears well on a north wall. 



Xourelle Royal. — Tree sturdy, compact, and a free- 

 bearer. Fruit larger than May Duke, dark-red, changing 

 to black ; flesh tender, juicy, brisk in flavour. Ripens end 

 of July. 



R> ine Hortcnse. — Tree vigorous and very productive. 

 Fruit large, long, and handsome; skin thin, bright -red 

 changing to dark brilliant-red by hanging ; flesh tender, 

 juicy, and somewhat acidulous. 



Royal Duke. — Tree similar to May Duke. Fruit large 

 and handsome, oblate, shining dark-red when fully ripe ; 

 flesh reddish, tender, juicy, and very rich. Ripens 

 middle or end of July, after May Duke and before Late 

 Duke. 



Tivclvc sorts suitable for cultivation as standards. 



Bigarreau Napoleon. 



Knight's Early Black. 



Black Eagle. 



Late Duke. 



Btittner's Black Heart. 



May Duke. 



Early Rivers. 



Morello. 



Elton. 



Royal Duke. 



Governor Wood. 



Waterloo. 



Six sorts suitable for a south wall. 



Black Tartarian. 



Elton. 



Early Jaboulay. 



May Duke. 



Early Purple Guigne. 



Noble. 



Six so?-ts suitable for an east icall. 



Archduke. 



Florence. 



Black Eagle. 



Noble. 



Early Rivers. 



Tradescant's Heart. 



Three sorts for a north wall. 

 Kentish, Late Duke, and Morello. 



Sorts suitable for a cottage garden. 

 Elton. j May Duke. 



Late Duke. 



Morello. 



[W. I.] 



CHAPTER X. 



FIGS. 



Origin — Cultivation in the Open Air — Soil — Situa- 

 tion — Fruiting — Pruning and Training — Walls 

 and Espaliers — Protection — Propagation — Cul- 

 tivation under Glass — In Pots — List of 

 Varieties. 



The Fig (Ficus Carica) (fig. 1011) is a native 

 of the south of Europe, Northern Africa, and 

 Western Asia. We find in the Scriptures 

 ample record of its cultivation in the earliest 

 ages, and of the estimation in which the fruit 

 was held. The Figs of Athens were celebrated 

 for their exquisite flavour; and it is said that 

 Xerxes was tempted by them to undertake the 

 conquest of Attica. 



The tree, although remarkably soft-wooded, 

 lives to a very great age — several centuries in 

 mild climates; and even in Britain, a tree of 

 the White Marseilles variety, brought to this 

 country by Cardinal Pole in 1525, is remem- 

 bered as covering a large extent of wall, and 

 bearing abundantly, in the garden of the Arch- 

 bishop of Canterbury, at Lambeth Palace, 

 where several of its descendants of great age 

 and size still exist. On the south coast, in 

 various parts of Sussex, as at Arundel and 



