160 OF PRUNING. SECT. Xt*. 



the rest laid in close without straining : Thus they 

 will be more conveniently covered. 



The mode of bearing in the fig is, that fruit chiefly 

 comes the present year on the little shoots from wood 

 of the preceding, and that towards the ends of the 

 branches ; which circumstances dictate the rules for 

 pruning : Two years old wood will bear some, but 

 older wood never. 



The shoots, during summer, are to be laid in at 

 full length, plentifully, as room will permit. The 

 weak, ill-placed, or superabundant ones, cut clean 

 out; yet rather break, or rub them off in an early 

 state of growth, for cutting branches or shoots in 

 summer is apt to make them bleed, as it is called ; 

 i. e. the sap run ; when cut in autumn, the fig will 

 sometimes bleed for a day or so, but if late cut in 

 spring, the oozing will continue perhaps a week. 



At the principal pruning, the strongest and the 

 closest jointed shoots are to be preferred, and left 

 about seven or eight inches asunder, without short- 

 ening. Let the spare shoots be cut out close and 

 smooth, and as much of the old wood as may be ; 

 for the tree will increase too fast, and get too naked 

 of bearing wood in the middle, if this is not freely 

 done; and the essential point in the management of the 

 fig tree is, (as indeed of all wall trees) to have young 

 wood all over it, and particularly in the middle, and 

 towards the bottom. Wood is seldom wanted in a 

 fig tree, but where it is the shortening of a shoot, 

 properly situated, (by taking off the leading bud, 

 or cutting lower, as the case requires) is sure to pro- 

 duce it : Do this in 4pril, as the best time. 



When hard frosts are expected, strew some ashes, 

 and some litter, over the roots of fig trees. Mats 

 should be nailed over their branches, (first pulling 

 off the figs) as the succulent nature of their wood 



