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prevent the infcflion from dearoying all the lov/er part 

 of the branches-; and, by this method, I have fecn a 

 moderate crop of Figs pur out from the lower part of 

 the ilioots ; where, if the Hioots had not been injured, 

 there would have been no fruit produced, becaufe it 

 is chiefly from the four or five uppermoft joints of the 

 Ihoots that the fruit comes out ; and it is for this 

 reafon, that as many of the fhort lateral branches 

 fliould be preferved as poffiblc, thofe being the mofl: 



for where the long ftrait flioots 

 v^ill be no fruit, but at their ex- 



V 



procluftive of truit •, 

 are fattened up, ther 



tremities, fo that all the lower part of the trees will 

 be naked, if there is not a particulat regard had to 

 fupplv young Ihoots in every part of the trees. 

 Thoie trees v;hich are laid down from the efpaliers, 

 fhould notbetaflened up again till the end of March, 

 for the reafons before given, and thoie againft walls 

 jnay remain fome tim^e longer -, and when the large 

 fhoots of thefeare nailedup,if thefmalllateral branches 

 are thruft behind thefe, to keep them^ clofe to the wall, 

 it will fecure the young Figsfrombeinginjured by the 



; and when this danger is over, they 

 maybe brought forward to their natural pofition again : 

 during the fummer feafon thefe trees will require no 

 other pruning, but to flop the fhoots in the fpring, 

 where lateral branches are wanting; and as thebranches 

 are often blown down by wind, therefore, whenever 

 this happens, they Ihould be imipediately faftened up 

 again, otherwile they will be in danger of breaking ; 

 for the leaves of thefe trees being very large and ftiff, 

 the wind has great power oh them'; fo that where 

 the branches are not well fecured, they are frequently 



torn down. 



Thofe trees which are planted againft efpaliers may 



mornino: frofts 



V 



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be protected from the injury of froft in the fpring, by 

 placing Reeds on each fide the efpalier, which may be 

 taken down every day, and put up again at night; but 

 this need not bepraftifed in warm weather, but only 

 at fuch times as there are cold .winds and frofty 



and 



mornings ; 



and although there is fome trouble 



L . 



cxpence attending this management, yet the plentiful 

 crop of Figs which rhay this way be obtained, will 

 fufficiently recomperife for both: the beft way of 

 making this covering is, to faften the Reeds with 

 rope yarn in fuch a manner as that it may be 

 rolled up like a mat, that the whole . may with 

 great facility be put up or taken down; and if thefe 

 Reeds are carefully rolled up, after the feafon for ufing 

 them is over, and put up in a dry fhed, they will laft 



■ 



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feveral years. 



'■ There are feveral perfons who of late have planted 

 , .'Tig-trees in ftandards, which have fucceeded very 

 well ; this pradice was revived, by pbferving fome old 

 ftandard Fig-trees in fome gardens^ which Had been 

 V growing many years, an3 generally produced a much 

 ." greater plenty of fruit than any of thofe trees which 

 were growing againft warm walls ; indeed, thefe ftan- 

 , dard Fig-trees are in much greater danger of having 

 their branches killed by fevere froft, but in mild win- 

 ': ters they generally do petter than thofe againft walls ; 

 fo that where thefe trees can be covered in very Hard 

 winters, there will always te plen^r of fruit ; and 

 ^ thefe may be covered by fattening as' many of the 

 ;' branches together as can be conveniently brought into 

 . a bundle, and winding fome Hay ~ bands. Straw, Peas- 

 haulm, or any fuch light covering as can be readily 



,whichinj:he fpring may be gradually taken 

 off, fo as not to expofe the Ihdots all at once to the 

 ^open air -,' and if there is fome fuch light covering laid 

 round the ftems, and'u'poh the furface of the ground 

 about their roots, it will more effedtually fecure them 

 from the danger of froft ; but w^hen this is praftifed, 

 great care fhould be taken th?J: no mice or rats hhr- 

 bour in this covering, for thele will eat off the bark 

 trom their flioots, and kill them : and I have often 

 obferyed thofe trees which were againft walls, have 

 luffered greatly by thefe vermin, by having many 

 ot tlieir largeft branches difbarked near the ground, 

 which^ has abfolutely killed them; and 

 toe Winter that 



thefe 



tnem -, ana it is in 

 vermin do this mifchief to 



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irr 



they fh 



ould 



be carefully watched 



which 



ar-" 



the 



Their branches are rarply hurt by 



them, therefor 

 at that feafon. 



The common blue and v/hite Figs, , 



forts which have been the moft generally cultivated in 

 England, are not fo proper to plant for ftandards, as 

 fome other forts which have been lately introduced j 

 for they are much tenderer, and are often killed almcft 

 to the root, when fome of the other forts, which have 

 been growing in the fame firuation, have received very 

 little injury from the froft; indeed the white fort is 

 generally a great bearer, and the fruit h very fwect ; 

 but to thofe palates which are accuftomed to Fio;s, that 

 fort is not much in efteem, from its wanfof fiavour : 

 thofe which have fucceeded beft with mc, are thefirft 

 and third forts. 



froft in winter, and their fruit will always ripen welf; 

 for in favourable feafons, many of thefe forts, which 

 were growing againft walls, have ripened theirfecond 

 crop of fruit tolerably well. I have alfo planted ma- 

 ny of thefe forts of Fig-trees againft north-eaft and 

 north-weft afpedls ; fome of thofe which were firft 

 planted, have produced a good quantity of welltafted 

 truit, but were ripe much later, which has encouraged 

 me to plant many more of thefe trees to the fame af- 

 pefts,and alfotoincreafe my number of ftandard trees. 

 I am aware, that vv^hat I have here advanced, in rela- 

 tion to the pruning and drefTmg of Fig-trees, will be 

 condemned by great numbers of people, v/ho will not 

 . ^ivc themfelves time to confiderand examine the rea- 

 dhs upon which I have founded this pradice, nor to 

 make one fingle experiment: to try the truth of it, as 

 being vaftly different from the,general praftice of moft 

 gardeners, who always imagine, that Fig-trees fhould 

 never have much pruning-, or^ at le'aft, that they fhould 

 always be fuffered to grow very rude from the wall, 

 to fome diftance. That by this management I have of- 

 ten feen great quantities of fruit 1 cannot deny, but 

 then this has been only after mild winters ; for if is 

 very certain, that in fharp frofts few of thefe outfide 

 fhoots efcape- being greatly injured where they are not 

 covered ; whereas it rarely happens that thofe fhoots 

 which are clofely nailed to the wall in autumn, or laid 

 down and covered, fuffer the leaft damage ; and the 

 fruits are always produced a fortnight fooner upon 

 thefe branches, than they are upon thofe which grow 

 from the wall : but although .the trees which are fuf- 

 fered to grow rude from the walls may produce a good 

 quantity of fruit fora yearor'two, yet afterward the 

 trees will only bear at the ends of the fhoots, which 

 will then be fo far from the wall, aFto receive little 

 . benefit from it -, nor can the trees be reduced again 

 to any regularity,, without cutting away the greateit 

 -^numberof their branches, by which a year or two 

 will be loft before they will come to bear again. 

 The feafon alfo for pruning, which I have laid down, 

 ' Being Vaftly different from the common pra£tice and 

 Opinionofmofl gardeners, will alfo bebbjedled againft; 

 but I arn fure, if any one will but make trial of it, I 

 doubt not his experience will confirm what 1 have here 

 advanced ; for as one s^reat iniury to this tree proceeds 

 ' from the too great effufion of fap at the wounded parts, 

 :^t)y "this autumn 'pfuning this is prevented; for, at 

 that feafon, 'all the' parts of European "trees' which 

 cal^ their leaves, are lefs replete with moifture^'thah at 

 Sny'other^time of the year ; for by the long continu-. 

 ance of the fumrqer's heat, the juices of plants havin_ 

 been exhaufted in the nourifhment and augmentation 



t 



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Of- 



of wood, leaves, fruits, &c/;"ani alfo great quantities 

 being evaporated by perlpiration, the root not being 

 "able to fend up a fupply equivalent to this great con- 

 fumption, thebranches muft contain a much lefs quan- 

 tity of fap than in the fpririg, when it has had feveral 

 . months fupply from' the root ; which, though but 

 fmall in proportion to what is fent up when the heat 

 is greater, yet there being little or no wafte, either by 

 perfpiration or augmentation, there muft be a greater 

 quantity contained in the branches; which alfo is eafily 

 ^.to be obferved, Hy breaking or cutting off a vigorous 

 'branch of a Fig-tree at both feafons (the fap, being 

 milky, may be readily difcerned) when that cut in Su- 



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