THE FIG UNDER GLASS. 



229 



astonishing how quickly healthy young trees, on 

 clean single stems, cover a large space, and form 

 fruit-hearing spurs, which frequently ripen well 

 without fire-heat. But in these days of cheap fuel 

 and heating apparatus, the recommendation of an 

 unheated structure of any kind would hardly he 

 keeping ahreast of the times, and, therefore, a flow 

 and return pipe should be introduced at the outset. 



Borders, Concrete, and Drainage. — As- 

 suming that one or other of the houses here recom- 

 mended has been erected, the first step will he the 

 preparation of the borders. These it has been stated 

 should be confined to the interior, as the roots of the 

 Fig do not require much water when the trees are at 

 rest. They should be elevated, as the roots rejoice 

 in warmth when the trees are growing and ripening 

 their fruit and wood, and there should be no possi- 

 bility of stagnant water hanging about after it has 

 passed through the compost. Last, and equally 

 important, each tree should have its own allotted 

 root-space, and that not too extensive, as over- 

 luxuriance is the most frequent difficulty with which 

 the Fig-grower has to contend. To surmount this 

 difficulty, an excavation equal to the depth of the 

 drainage will be sufficient ; in some cases the 

 drainage may be raised up to the ground-line. A 

 six -inch drain will be needed to carry off the water, 

 and the whole of the bottom must be well concreted. 

 When this is dry, build four and a half inch brick 

 walls across the area. Allow one square foot of 

 border to every square yard of trellis. Let the 

 concrete slope from every direction to the drains, 

 which bed in concrete, and defer putting in the 

 drainage until after the lime is set. 



Drainage. — Twelve inches of clean broken stone or 

 brickbats, especially the latter, on the surface of the 

 concrete, will make a good bottom. Although the 

 whole of the borders may not be made at once, the 

 sections allotted to each tree being small as compared 

 with Vine borders, they may be prepared individually 

 over its whole space, as if it were a large pot, by 

 placing the roughest pieces at the bottom, and 

 finishing with the smaller particles over the surface. 

 Place thin sods of turf of a sandy nature over all, 

 grass side downwards, and the foundation of the 

 border will be ready. 



The barrel-drains for lean-to houses should run 

 along the outside, and parallel with the front walls ; 

 those in span-roofed houses underneath the centre 

 path. Before the drainage is put in, lay rows of 

 three-inch drain pipes, three feet apart, transversely 

 across each compartment, and let them rest on the 

 concrete with outlets in the mains. 



Compost.— The Fig is one of those good- 



natured trees which seems quite capable of getting 

 its living out of anything, provided it is not checked 

 by drought, or swamped by cold, stagnant moisture ; 

 but this accommodating nature does not alter the 

 fact that some soils suit it better than others. 

 Where loams of varying quality can be obtained, 

 that known to gardeners as medium calcareous, and 

 inclining to sandy, is to be preferred ; but if a 

 heavier soil must be used, then the usual corrective 

 Agents, such as burnt earth, broken bricks, sand, 

 and best of all, old lime, mortar, or plaster, must be 

 introduced. The turf should be cut from an old 

 pasture when it is dry, and if placed where it can be 

 protected from rain, it may He for a winter, or it 

 may be used as soon as the grass begins to wither. 

 The last condition, if free from wire-worm, is to be 

 preferred, as there is a chance of fermentation in the 

 heap before the borders are made. When the trees 

 are ready for planting, chop up the turf with spades, 

 add one part of old lime rubble to every three parts of 

 loam, and mix thoroughly. Avoid manures of all 

 kinds, as the trees will most likely grow too fast 

 at first— indeed, for some time after they are 

 planted. Make up the first moiety of the border in 

 each space, allowing sufficient root-run for one year. 

 Beat the compost firmly as it is introduced, and keep 

 it up in position with retaining walls of turf 

 within the limits determined upon. When the 

 bed has been raised to within six inches of the future 

 level, defer putting on the remainder of the compost 

 until the trees are shaken out and planted. If fresh 

 turfy loam cannot be obtained, good garden soil, not 

 over-rich in manure, the trimmings from the sides of 

 limestone roads, old lime rubbish, and pounded 

 bricks will make an excellent substitute. 



Propagation. — The Fig can be raised from 

 seeds, single eyes, cuttings, layers, and suckers. If 

 a branch is pegged down on the surface of a moist 

 border, or trained against a damp wall under glass, it 

 speedily throws out a network of roots, and produces 

 a healthy and fruitful growth. 



Seedlings are easily raised by sowing in well- 

 drained pots filled with sandy soil, and plunged in 

 bottom heat ; but the result being very uncertain, 

 and good varieties already numerous, it is not often 

 practised. When the seedlings are large enough to 

 handle, they should be potted off singly, in three- 

 inch pots, and again returned to bottom heat, where 

 they can be kept growing, and shifted on as the roots 

 require more room, until they are strong enough to | 

 be treated as plants raised from eyes. 



Suckers. — Where good, old-established trees are 

 found throwing up suckers, these can be detached 

 with roots during the season of rest. If potted and 

 placed in bottom heat they soon make good plants, 



