August  21,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
179 
way  the  fortunate  may  obtain  permission  to  view  the  Kimber- 
head  Springs,  or  bubbling  pools  of  water  that  flow  beneath  the 
hills  of  chalk  from  higher  up,  to  issue  here  at  Kimberliead,  and 
these  most  beautiful  springs,  with  unceasing  turbulation  emerge 
from  their  bed  of  silver  sand  40ft  beneath  the  placid  surface  of 
the  crystal  waters.  Green  they  seem,  and  green,  lurid  green 
they  are,  from  their  depth  alone.  The  whole  inner  body  of 
these  huge  natural  cisterns  are  diversified  by  aquatic  vegetation, 
green,  black,  and  brown,  while  lying  motionless  as  in  death, 
one  espies  the  wavy  outlines  of  massive  trout.  The  Beech  trees 
overhead,  and  Willows  by  the  brink,  allow  the  straggling  sun¬ 
beams  entrance,  and  whose  shafts  of  golden  light  pierce  down¬ 
ward  and  illuminate  the  deepest  recesses  of  this ( indescribably 
beautiful  scene.  Jules  Verne  in  his  Nautilus  ne’er  viewed  a 
subterranean  creation  more  wonderful  or  more  enchanting. — 
J.  H.  D. 
<•••* 
Figs  Under  Glass. 
House  for  Earliest  Supplies. 
This  may  contain  trees  in  pots  or  planted  out.  The  first  is 
much  better  for  securing  very  early  Figs,  as  the  trees  are  und'r 
control,  and  selection  can  be  made  of  the  most  promising  for 
yielding  a  first  crop,  which  is  much  the  most  valuable,  dishes. cf 
ripe  Figs  in  April  being  prized,  as  fresh  fruit  is  not  then 
plentiful,  and  there  is  always  a  charm  in  variety  at  dessert.  The 
house  should  be  light,  airy,  and  well  heated.  A  low  three-quarter 
span-roof  house,  facing  the  south,  is  best,  with  a  pit  for  holding 
fermenting  material,  such  as  Beech,  Spanish  Chestnut,  or  Oak 
leaves,  which  gives  a  moist  genial  heat  and  moisture  over  a 
considerable  period,  greatly  reducing  the  necessity  for  fire  heat, 
and  more  suitable  for  the  Fig  trees.  Those  intended  for  early 
forcing  in  pots  may  be  placed  outdoors  when  the  wood  is  ripe, 
but  they  must  not  be  so  treated  if  there  is  any  doubt  about  this, 
keeping  them  under  glass,  with  a  free  circulation  of  air.  These 
are  matters  on  which  the  cultivator  will  need  to  exercise  his 
judgment.  In  either  case  encourage  surface  roots  by  dressings 
of  manure,  rough  loam,  and  a  sprinkling  of  superphosphate. 
See  that  those  placed  outdoors  do  not  root  from  the  base  of  the 
pot.  Cut  off  all  roots  that  have  passed  into  the  plunging  material, 
top-dress,  after  which  give  a  good  watering,  and  they  will  need 
no  more  water  than  suffices  to  keep  the  foliage  in  health. 
In  the  case  of  the  earliest  forced  planted-out  trees,  these 
will  now  be  ripening  their  wood,  and  watering  may  be  discon¬ 
tinued,  air  being  given  very  liberally.  If,  however,  the  second 
crop  is  not  yet  ripened,  moderate  moisture  in  the  soil  will  be 
necessary,  with  a  free  circulation  cf  warm  air  to  secure  quality 
in  the  fruit.  When  the  fruit  is  off,  take  prompt  measures  to 
destroy  insects,  red  spider  and  scale  being  the  most  assiduous, 
and  are  annihilated  by  dressing  with  petroleum  emulsion,  applied, 
after  due  dilution,  with  a  brush,  so  as  to  dislodge  the  scale. 
Fig  Trees  Unsatisfactory. 
Planted-out  trees  not  infrequently  grow  rampantly,  and,  con¬ 
sequently,  produce  their  crops  of  fruit.  In  that  case  lifting  and 
root-pruning  should  be  resorted  to,  and  the  roots  confined  to  a 
narrow  border,  3ft  to  4ft  in  width,  or  not  more  than  one-third 
the  breadth  of  trellis  the  trees  are  to  occupy.  A  trench  taken 
out  at  this  distance  from  the  stem  down  to  the  drainage  after 
the  fruit  is  gathered  will  check  the  tendency  to  a  late  growth, 
assist  in  the  ripening  of  the  wood,  more  particularly  if  the 
growths  are  thinly  disposed,  and  the  points  of  the  shoots,  instead 
of  being  closely  tied  in,  are  allowed  to  grow  up  to  the  glass.  If 
the  drainage  be  defective,  it  will  be  necessary  to  lift  the  trees  in 
the  autumn  as  soon  as  the  leaves  commence  falling,  and  replant 
in  fresh  compost.  Place  in  12in  of  drainage,  rough  at  the  bottom, 
and  fine  at  the  top,  that  at  the  bottom  being  the  size  of  half-, 
bricks,  and  in  degrees  smaller  upwards  ;  have  the  material  about 
the  size  of  road  metal  at  the  top,  placing  on  this  a  3in  thickness 
of  old  mortar  rubbish,  freed  of  old  laths  and  other  pieces  of  wood, 
smashed,  and  sifted  with  a  half-inch  sieve,  using  that  remaining 
in  the  sieve,  the  finer  particles  being  suitable  for  mixing  with  the 
compost  to  the  extent  of  one-sixth.  Turfy  loam,  inclined  to  be 
strong  rather  than  light,  forms  a  suitable  rooting  medium, 
provided  it  contains  a  fair  amount  of  gritty  matter,  preferably 
calcareous  gravel,  or  have  added  to  it  a  sixth  part  of  old  mortar 
rubbish.  Where  obtainable,  a  bushel  of  .wood  ashes  may  be 
mixed  with  eapli  cartload  of  loam  and  a  peck  of  crushed  half-inch 
bones.  Other  enriching  materials  may  be  added  and  mixed  with 
the  soil,  but  as  a  rule  it  is  better  to  supply  these  in  available 
form  as  the  growth  and  crop  require  them,  than  admix  enriching 
substances,  such  as  horse  droppings  or  farmyard  manure  with  the 
compost  for  the  borders.  When  the  soil  is  poor  a  fifth  part  of 
horse  droppings  or  thoroughly  decayed  manure  may  be  incor¬ 
porated  with  the  loam. — Grower. 
Scene  in  Bucklebury  Place  Gardens. 
