MARCH.] THE FRUIT-GARDEN. 209 



posures ; therefore, shall give the method of pruning and training 

 them to such. 



In those southern states, where they grow in the open standard 

 way, they need no other priming, than keeping each, on a neat sin- 

 gle stem, free from suckers, cutting out any dead or ill placed, 

 wood, thinning the young shoots where too crouded, but never top- 

 ping any. 



In pruning fig-trees, you must leave a sufficient supply of the 

 last summer's shoots from the bottom to the extremity, every way, 

 in all parts where possible ; and prune out the ill-placed and super- 

 fluous thereof, with part of the old bearers, and long extended naked 

 old wood, to have due room to train the proper shoots, so as the 

 tree may be equally furnished with a succession of young bearers, 

 at moderate distances ; for these young shoots bear the figs the 

 ensuing season ; fig-trees always producing their fruit on the one- 

 year-old wood only. 



Leave the branches and shoots in general, about five to six or 

 seven inches asunder, all at full length ; being careful to prefer the 

 best middling strong shoots to retain for general bearers, cutting out 

 the improper, superabundant, and useless old wood, quite close ; 

 pruning out any very rampant young wood, excessive long-jointed 

 shoots, or very slender infirm growths ; leaving the most promising 

 and firm to supply the general expansion. 



Take care always, to train in every year some young shoots, at or 

 near the bottom, that there maybe a succession coming up regularly 

 one after another, to supply the places of casual, long, old, naked 

 branches, which will occur every season in some part or other of the 

 tree ; for such long-extended naked old branches, or others, not fur- 

 nished properly with young wood, should now be cut out, that there 

 may be sufficient room to train the bearing shoots regularly, and at 

 proper distances. 



In cutting out useless large branches, either too long extended, 

 or unfurnished with bearing wood, 8cc. let them be cut off close 

 to the places from whence they proceed, to some convenient lower 

 young shoots or branches, leaving no stumps. 



The young branches of Jig-trees must not be shortened or tofified; 

 but leave each at full length ; for if they were, it would not only 

 cut away the part where fruit would have appeared, but also occa- 

 sion them to run much to wood, and thereby never produce half a 

 crop : so only cut off casual dead ends. 



The tree being pruned, let the general branches and bearers be 

 directly trained in, and nailed to the wall or fence, or made fast to 

 the espalier, in regular order ; extending them horizontally, at equal 

 distances, six or seven inches from each other. 



Planting and propagating fig -Trees. 



Plant fig-trees where wanted, this being rather the best month 

 in the year for removing them ; they will now take root in a very 

 short time. 



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