212 THE KITCHEN-GARDEN, [chap. vii. 
bottom. This is essential; as the fig will 
not grow with any stagnant water about its 
roots, though it requires to be constantly 
and abundantly supplied with moisture. 
Many country persons throw soap-suds on 
the roots of their fig-trees with very great 
success. The tree may be trained in any 
shape; and the long branches should be 
bent backwards and forwards, not only to 
make them throw out side-shoots, but to 
cover the wall. The best figs for general 
bearing are the black and brown Ischias and 
the large blue or purple fig. A tree of the 
last kind, which is trained against our house 
at Bays water, under the glass veranda, has 
never failed, during the last ten years, to 
produce a good crop every summer. Fig- 
trees should be thirty feet apart if the branches 
are trained horizontally; but they may be 
placed rather nearer, if the branches are bent 
backwards and forwards to cover the wall. 
Espaliers. —Espaliers, though they are 
nearly as troublesome to train as wall-trees, 
have none of their advantages. They are 
indeed only superior to standards in taking 
up less room, in having a neater appearance, 
