DOUBLE TREES.
Trees may be set singly, as standards, in the way commonly practiced with other fruit trees, or they may be set “double”—that is, two trees planted together in one hole and allowed to remain. The latter method has not heretofore been advocated in this country but is worthy of thorough trial. The method consists in planting two long cuttings, about 12 inches apart, in the same hole, allowing them to protrude from the ground a few inches. Both are allowed to grow and the two are treated as a single tree with two stems or standards. The object sought is to produce two distinct stems or trunks, in order that the splitting down of branches may be prevented. In this way trees with low, sloping branches, having their main trunks leaning outward, will be formed and it will be impossible for the trunks, the main branches, or the smaller ones to split down. Branches split only when they point upward or stand straight out—never when they slope downward from the trunk.
STANDARD TREES.
These may be planted in the usual way, but great care must be taken in shading the roots while the trees are being planted. After they are set, the trunks should be shaded by wrapping them with paper bags or other material, as a sun-burnt tree will never regain its health or bear profitably. Standard trees should only be set for ornament or shade, and even for these purposes the double trees are preferable. The fig tree naturally branches near the ground, and the only way to successfully imitate this habit in cultivation is to plant by the double-tree method.
PRUNING.
The pruning of the fig varies according to the age of the trees and the purpose for which pruning is done. While other fruit trees require yearly, and generally heavy, pruning to insure fruit of good quality, the object in pruning the fig is simply, or at least principally, to keep the tree healthy and give air and light to the fruit. The most important rule to be observed in pruning the fig is that no branch shall be cut off squarely or be cut back so as to leave a stump. This is almost surely fatal to the future welfare of the tree and to the quality and quantity of its fruit. When it becomes necessary to remove a 1-year-old limb the cut should be made at least as far down as the next fork below, and it should be close to a joint in the fork. There should be nothing left but a scar to show that a limb has been cut away. There must be no stump left. The fig tree may require to have its branches thinned out, but it must not be headed back except to correct unsymmetrical growth. In dense trees branches which cross should be removed entirely and in such a way as to give the tree a rounded, dome-like outline, with the lower branches nearly touching the ground. In pruning recently planted trees the object in view is, of course, entirely different, as fruit can not be expected for several years to come. The object of this early pruning is to shape the tree. When two cuttings are set together little pruning is required, as they will generally shape themselves and form two main trunks diverging from each other, but when a single tree is planted it is best to cut back the stem to within a foot of the soil and let it branch from that point. The only case in which it is proper to have a tall standard is when it is desirable to grow trees for shade and pleasure and where the quality of the fruit and its quantity are of but secondary importance. If recently planted fig trees show any tendency toward drying out, the main limbs or the whole trunk should at once be cut back to live green wood.
DRYING AND CURING.
The drying and curing of figs must necessarily differ in different countries, under different conditions, and for different purposes. For home consumption little skill and care are required to produce a palatable and useful article of diet, while figs intended for shipment must be more carefully dried, cured, and packed in order to command a fair price in competition with the imported article.
The fig is mature and ready to dry only when it has attained its proper size and is palatable for eating fresh. When the crop has reached this stage it may be gathered and dried for home consumption, but in order to produce a superior article the figs must be as sweet as possible and very pulpy. Too often do we find figs in the market consisting of nothing but skin and empty seeds, without sweetness, flavor, or pulp. Figs do not ripen all at one time, and the trees must be gone over daily, in order that only the ripest shall be gathered. Before being picked the fig should be soft to the touch; it should be wrinkled, and should hang downward. Some kinds when ripe show white seams or cracks in the flesh. This is generally a sign of complete maturity. Figs will not ripen after picking and never become sweeter than when cut from the tree. Similarly, figs which have once attained their full maturity do not improve and should be dried at once. If allowed to hang longer on the tree they may quickly rot, sour, or mold, and soon become unfit for use. In order to compete with the best imported figs, our figs intended for drying should be very sweet; in fact, the sweeter the better. When freshly cut they should contain 35 per cent of sugar and when dried about 55 per cent. For home consumption they do not need to be so sweet as this, for any palatable figs are useful when carefully dried.