Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VII.djvu/191

 FIG 183 The Fife breed of cattle have long been cele- brated, and are in high repute both at home and in the English markets. Coal, iron, lime- stone, and freestone are abundant. Coal has been worked for several centuries, but iron- stone, especially that called blackband, is of recent discovery. The principal manufacture is linen, which is carried on very extensively at Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy. There are sal- mon fisheries in several of the rivers, and her- ring, cod, turbot, and haddock fisheries on the coasts. The principal towns are Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy, Cupar, Dysart, and St. Andrews. FIG, the fruit of the Jlcus carica (L>nn.), a tree which is indigenous to Asia and Bar- bary, and is much cultivated in the warmer portions of the .globe. The leaves of the fig tree are rough, lobed, and deciduous. The flowers are so curiously concealed from ob- servation, that many persons think it has none, though they are very numerous, being borne inside of a succulent, hollow receptacle, Fig (Ficus carica). which first appears on the sides of the young shoots like a small round bud. This receptacle is called a sycorus, and on being cut open the minute, chaffy, apetalous florets, each furnished with three stamens and two styles, will be seen lining its walls. If these florets have become duly impregnated, the sycorus, after having re- mained entirely at rest for some time at half its growth, begins to swell again, augments considerably in size, becomes very pulpy and sweet when it ripens, assumes some kind of color, and is the fig. The pulpy, sweet mass will be found to be penetrated with small round seeds, each of which is the result of a minute chaffy floret. The fig tree attains a height of 20 ft., with a branching, spreading head, like an apple tree, in those countries where it is indigenous ; but in northern countries it is sel- dom seen except as a shrub, unless when trained under glass. In the middle states, where cul- tivated in the open air, it is purposely kept low and shrub-like, so that it may be bent to the ground and covered with earth in the win- ter, to protect it from frosts. In England the tree is usually planted against a low wall, in order that it may receive some of the heat re- flected from the surface of the soil. Such walls are sometimes furnished with flues to conduct artificial heat to the ripening crops of figs in autumn. In some parts of France it is grown as a dwarf standard tree, the chief end being to keep the branches short, low, and spreading, in order that they may benefit by the sun's rays reflecting heat from the earth. The soil is manured occasionally and stirred once a year, and some slight protection is given to the lower branches and base of the trunk in the winter. In the south of England it has been treated in the same way with success. Two or more crops of fruit are produced from the fig tree by judicious pruning and training, each crop being produced on distinct sets of shoots. The second crop, for instance, grows from the eyes or buds of the shoots made in early summer, and if the season be sufficiently long and warm, the fruit will ripen ; but this seldom happens in the open air. In hot climates the second crop is the most prolific and valuable, being what are called summer figs, and used for exportation. By continued high temperature eight crops a year have been produced in England. The fig tree is easily propagated from cuttings, or by ringing some branch and surrounding the cut place by a small pot of earth, into which the roots will penetrate and increase to such extent that the branch may be separated be- fore the fruit upon it has ripened. Branches also girdled by removing a narrow ring of the bark below the fruit-bearing parts, will produce earlier ripening figs, the process being found as safe and efficacious as with the pear tree or the grape vine. It is cultivated to a con- siderable extent around Boston, Mass., in con- servatories and forcing houses such as are used in the cultivation of foreign grapes. Trained upon the back wall of such structures, by using espaliers or by nailing in the branches, a single tree may be made to produce large crops. The branches are spread out horizontally, and so arranged that they can be loosened from the walls, pruned, washed, and cleaned when ne- cessary. Judicious management is important to prevent too great growth of young or useless shoots. By this mode two crops are secured. There are many choice varieties of the fig, each having some peculiar merit. The London hor- ticultural society's catalogue for 1842 gives 42 varieties, and in this number are comprised fruits of white, green, yellow, and brown colors. As an abundant bearer, and hardier than any other, the brown Turkey fig seems to be pre- ferred. Downing considers it the best for the open air, and says that it has a delicious flavor. The brown Ischia, white Marseilles, Brunswick, and white Ischia are highly commended. The fresh ripened fig is delicious and luscious. Few, however, fancy it on first acquaintance, but experience soon, decides in its favor over the