400 



FIG CULTURE IN THE 



destroyed by tlie late frosts. For this reason some growers 

 prefer to defer this operation until the end of March^ al- 

 though the trees frequently suffer from being thus suddenly 

 exposed to the heat of the sun^ and the fruit does not 

 ripen so well. Others uncover one-half their trees at the 

 end of February, and the other half at the end of March. 

 By this means a better average crop is insured both in 

 quality and quantity. The branches are separated from 

 each other by equal distances so as to avoid confusion, as 



well as to prevent 

 the leaves from rub- 

 biDg against the 

 fruit, which would 

 have the effect of 

 blackening them, 

 and render them 

 comparatively 

 worthless. Those 

 branches that are 

 too near the ground 

 are also held up by 

 means of forked 

 pieces of wood. The 

 soil is carefully le- 

 velled where the 

 ground is horizon- 

 tal, a little hollow 

 being made round 

 the root of the tree 

 to hold the rain water. Trees that are planted on 

 sloping ground require hollows to be made in the 

 soil, so that the water which flows from the higher 

 ground may be collected at the root of each tree. 

 In this way a proper degree of moisture is insured 

 during the whole of the summer, besides which the 

 soil is prevented from being cut up by the rains. 

 This plan would seem to be peculiarly well suited 

 to plantations on the steep slopes of railway embank- 

 ments. Henceforward the young shoots growing from 



Fig. 215. 



Fig Tree planted on sloping ground, with Earth 

 Basin on lower side to better retain the water. 



