FORCING THE FIG IN BRITISH GARDENS. 



485 



Sect. V. — Culture of the Fig under Glass. 

 SuBSECT. I. — Natural Data on which the Culture of the Fig is founded. 



1029. The Fig (Ftcus Cdrica, L.) is a native of Asia and the sea-coast of 

 Africa, and it is cultivated on the shores and islands of the Mediterranean, 

 in Italy, and in the South of France ; but, like the olive, never far from the 

 sea-side, or at great elevations. The soil is generally light, but superin- 

 cumbent on a subsoil, v^^hich is supplied vrith vrater within the reach 

 of the roots. It w^ould thus appear that the fig is not intended by 

 nature to endure a severe winter, a great degree of drought, or a very 

 hot summer; and this conclusion is in accordance with the succulence 

 of its wood, the retention of young fruit on its shoots throughout the winter, 

 and its broad succulent leaves. The spring and summer temperature suitable 

 for the grape vine has been found to answer for the fig, but the latter requires 

 a moister atmosphere, and more water at the root when in a growing state, 

 and the temperature should not be below 40" during winter. It is the nature 

 of the fig to produce two crops in the year, both when it is cultivated in 

 the open air, and when it is under glass. The first crop, which is produced 

 on the points of the shoots of the last year, ripens in Italy in May and June; 

 and on walls in the climate of London in September and October. The 

 second crop is produced on the shoots of the current year, and ripens in Italy 

 in October ; but in the open air in this country it never ripens at all, except- 

 ing a few of small size, which remain on through the winter, and constitute 

 the first crop, just mentioned, of the following summer. Under glass, the first 

 crop ripens at various periods between March and J une, according to the time 

 of commencing to force ; and the second crop, which in the open air never 

 attains maturity, is under glass that which is most to be depended on. The first 

 crop under glass ripens in four or five months from the time of commencing 

 to force, and the second crop in six or eight months. The fruit of the fig is 

 what is called a common receptacle for the flowers, but turned up in a tur- 

 binate or top shape, so as to inclose the florets and completely exclude them 

 from view. The fig, both in fig countries and in British gardens, is apt to 

 drop its fruit prematurely ; and in Italy and Greece the process of caprifica- 

 tion is employed to counteract this tendency. It consists in placing among 

 the branches of cultivated fig trees, branches of the wild fig, or even fruit 

 that has dropped off" wild trees, in which a kind of gnat abounds, and which 

 enters the fruit on the cultivated tree, and passing over the anthers distributes 

 the pollen over the stigma. The utility of this practice is doubted by many ; 

 at all events, it is neither practised in France nor Britain, but as a substitute 

 for it, ringing the branch immediately behind the fruit has been found suc- 

 cessful in some British gardens. 



SuBSECT. II. — The forcing of the Fig as practised in British Gardens. 



1030. The Fig is not a favourite fruit in Britain, though since the peace of 

 1814 the taste for it has considerably increased. It is most generally forced 

 in pots, either placed in pits, or in peach-houses, vineries, or even pine-stoves ; 

 and as the plants bear two crops in a year, it is not difficult to have a supply 

 of fruit at most seasons ; the chief dependence, however, is on the second 

 crop, or that produced on the wood of the current year. 



1031. The construction of the Fig-house may be the same as that of the 

 peach-house (991) ; but the leaves being large, the trellis may be placed 



