EXPERIMENTAL HORTICULTURE. 
443 
habit of the plant, in that as long as it is climbing a wall it has 
minute leaves closely adpressed to it; but when it is ready to 
flower it throws out branches with large leaves and bears the 
figs. Mr. Henslow alluded to a courtyard in Malta which is 
covered with Ficus repens bearing the large-leaved boughs, 
though the smaller-leaved stems also covered the walls. 
Ficus sycomorus. —While speaking of Figs, Mr. Henslow 
alluded to the custom of the fellahs of Egypt of cutting off the tops 
of the figs of this tree to render them edible, for the fruit is 
always infested with flies ( Blastophaga ). They use a piece of 
hoop-iron fixed into the end of a stick, one edge being sharp, or 
else a hooked piece of iron. Theophrastus, who wrote in the 
fourth century b.c., describes the latter instrument, and the use 
of it, though he thought it ripened the fig, making no 
allusion to the insects. The prophet Amos (vii. 14) described 
himself as a “ cutter ” of figs. The LXX. version trans¬ 
lates the Hebrew by the same Greek word as that which 
Theophrastus uses ; so that the occupation of the prophet was 
the same as is now practised in Egypt. He meant by it to 
signify that he belonged to the humblest class. Mr. Henslow 
exhibited three forms of “cutters,” and also figs cut by fellahs 
in Cairo, as well as others picked up in the public Esbikeeah 
Garden in Cairo, full of the ^Blastophaga. It is the same insect 
which is supposed to fertilise the figs in Malta and elsewhere, 
where the people hang up figs taken from the ‘ Wild Fig,’ or 
caprificus , in the cultivated trees ; but the operation appears to be 
really quite needless. 
EXPERIMENTAL HORTICULTURE. 
By Mr. Geo. Gordon, F.R.H.S., Y.M.H. 
[Read October 25, 1898.] 
British horticulturists have in the past been so profoundly 
impressed with the importance of a practical acquaintance with 
the details of their art that they have almost overlooked the 
enormous value of a knowledge of the scientific aspects of 
gardening, and in consequence the utility of experimental work 
has failed to obtain proper recognition. The results of the views 
that have obtained are not difficult to appreciate, and I would 
