77 
will have to be removed. This pruning should not be accom- 
plished until February, at which period blossom buds can be 
readily distinguished. The business now, is to remove all re- 
maining stumps, or remains of foreright shoots, which appear 
gross, or likely to produce coarse wood shoots ; and to prune 
away decaying spurs ; shortening those a little which, through 
age, have grown too far from the wall. 
By the platform mode of planting, the trees, when ten or a 
dozen years old, will perhaps appear rather too much reduced in 
strength ; if so, they must have suitable top dressings. A coat- 
ing of rotten turfy loam, containing a little manure, may be 
placed over their roots, four inches in thickness, at least ; and 
a top-dressing of manure from the stable yard over this, of three 
inches more. Whenever the trees appear to want vigour, it will 
be well to apply a good soaking of liquid manure once in each 
summer, in the month of June; this will give the necessary 
stimulus, at the season it is most required. 
298 The Fig. By referring to page 34 of the Auctarium, it will 
be seen that unless Figs are induced to grow short-jointed, no 
success can be expected ; and to effect this, it becomes abso- 
lutely essential to limit their extension of root. These things 
having been duly carried out, young plants may be obtained 
from any respectable nurseryman, in pots, and planted in the 
beginning of April ; if on the open walls, they may be about 
three feet apart. As the balls of soil will be composed of 
matted roots, such should be uncoiled, spread out, and a little 
decayed vegetable matter sprinkled amongst them, to induce 
rapid growth for the first two seasons. If cuttings of strong 
shoots are at hand, they may be stuck in of considerable size, 
instead of young plants; indeed, if carefully shaded and nursed 
for a few weeks at first, stems of considerable size may be 
planted. If unbranched, the terminal bud should be broken 
off or pruned away, to cause the emission of a sufficiency of 
side shoots. If the succeeding summer prove unusually dry, a 
top dressing of litter, and occasional waterings, will be requisite. 
In the second year they will have produced several shoots, 
besides a host of embryo buds ; and, this being the case, a 
permanent mode of training should be decided on. Whatever 
that mode may be, it should be taken as a maxim that the main 
shoots should be, on an average, nearly a foot apart. Some 
279. .\UCT.VR1UM. 
