FEUITS. — VARIETIES AND CULTURE. 



305 



Ashes, marl, or composts prepared with mild lime form 

 the best manure. If the soil is too moist the fig continues 

 its growth too late in the fall, when the new wood is 

 killed by the frost ; while young, it is best to protect the 

 tree during winter with branches of evergreens. I have 

 found that young trees will mature their fruit and wood 

 much more perfectly, and better endure the winter, if the 

 young shoots are broken off at the ends, and if all fruit 

 forming after that is removed, and no more growth is 

 permitted after the middle of September. 



As a general rule, however, with the fig, the more it is 

 pruned the less is the crop. This, however, does not ap- 

 ply to root pruning. 



If from too rank growth of wood the tree drops its 

 fruit, cut off all the roots that project more thau half the 

 length of the branches at any time daring winter. 



The nomenclature of figs is still very uncertain, as few 

 are described with minuteness and accuracy. The names 

 of several of our common varieties do not appear in the 

 books, or they are so imperfectly described, that we do 

 not recognize them. 



DARK-COLOEED VARIETIES. 



Brunswick. — Fruit very large, long, pyriform, with an 

 oblique apex; eye depressed ; stalk short and thick; 

 skin, pale green, tinged with yellow in the shade, dull 

 brownish-red in the sun, and sprinkled with pale brown 

 specks ; flesh reddish-brown, pinkish at the centre, semi- 

 transparent, rich, sweet, and high flavored. If I have 

 the true variety the leaves are deeply cut, and generally 

 seven-lobed. Wood of strong growth, and very hardy. 



Brown Turkey. — Fruit large, oblong or pyriform; 

 skin dark brown, covered with thick blue bloom ; flesh 

 red and delicious. Said to be very hardy and prolific. 

 It may be our common blue variety. 



