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XXVIII. On the Treatment of the Standard Fig Trees in 

 the Gardens at Arundel Castle. By Mr. Joins Maher, 

 F.H.S. Gardener to his Grace the Duke of Norfolk, 

 at Arundel Castle, Sussex. 



Read, November 3d, 1818. 



W hen the gardens at Arundel Castle were first entrusted to 

 my care, his Grace expressed a wish that I would give par- 

 ticular attention to the Fig trees, seven of which were grow- 

 ing there as standards ; of these one was the White Marseilles, 

 the others were the Violette or Bourdeaux Fig.* I found the 

 trees overloaded with wood, a considerable portion of which 

 was dead, and the rest bearing a poor and scattered crop of 

 fruit, very little of which ripened, owing no doubt, in some 

 measure, to the unfavourable season. In the following win- 

 ter I cleared away the exhausted surface earth, to the depth 

 of nine inches, below which I found a solid bed of gravel, 

 clay, chalk, and flint, which I dug out to the depth of two 

 feet, wherever the roots would permit; at the extremities of 

 the roots I went to the depth of four feet, clearing the whole 

 away. I then procured a quantity of good rich loam and 

 street sweepings, and with three parts of the first, and one 

 part of the other, I made the ground good to its former 

 level. In the following spring I thinned out the wood 



• Specimens of both these Figs were exhibited at the meeting of the Society, 

 on the 1st of September, 1818, which were not only unusually large, but were 

 admirably ripened, and of delicious flavour. 



