4 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



untouched ; and they underwent no change, nor ripened prema- 

 turely ; while fruit of the same trees, in a similar condition, 

 anointed at the mouth, first increased in size, and then became 

 ripe in ten days. Oil spread over the whole upper surface of the 

 leaves, or over a certain portion of it, caused them to die in a few 

 days ; and some drops of the same fluid, sprinkled here and 

 there, altered sensibly the corresponding parenchyma, which 

 turned brown and then dried up. The experiments repeated on 

 the 8 th of August with the same oils and fatty matters which were 

 used in 18G3, anointing only the mouth of the more developed 

 figs at the base of the shoots of the current year (pedagnuoli), 

 gave the same result in the space of from eight to ten days ; 

 that is to say, all (or some portion at least) attained twice 

 the size, or more, became tender, and in some instances arrived 

 at perfect maturity. Groat's milk and turpentine were without 

 effect, exactly as tincture of iodine and solution of potash. Pure 

 alcohol had little or no effect, perhaps because of its volatility. 

 Other experiments, made on the 19th of August, on the White 

 Fig, gave the same result, Of three fruits anointed with castor- 

 oil, two ripened prematurely, as did two out of four anointed 

 with hog's lard, two of five with fat, all anointed with butter, 

 one only out of three anointed wdth linseed-oil, three out of six 

 with oil of almonds, one only out of five with nut-oil, five out 

 of six with oil of olive. Of the Brogiotto Pig, a single one out of 

 five treated with tincture of iodine attained double the size, and 

 split when beginning to become tender ; the same effect was pro- 

 duced by pure alcohol and a solution of potash, on the same num- 

 ber of receptacles ; of four treated with goat's milk, two, which 

 had increased to double the size, remained green and hard. Am- 

 monia was without effect. Of four receptacles slightly touched 

 with azotic acid at the mouth, one only increased in size and 

 split ; the remainder, with the scales shrivelled by the acid, pre- 

 sented no change. The facts, therefore, observed in 1883 on the 

 more or less active power of certain oils and fatty matters to 

 promote the increase and hasten the maturity of figs within the 

 term of about ten days, were confirmed in the current year. 



On the 21st of August, on different branches of the same tree 

 belonging to the variety Imperial Brogiotto, eight receptacles were 

 anointed at the mouth with mineral tar amalgamated with oil of 

 almonds, the same number with petroleum, four with a mixture 

 of sugar and flowers of sulphur, all which, after four days, were 



