FRUIT GARDEN. 269 



each other, the knife is unnecessary but to remove 

 dead or diseased branches ; but if the growth of the 

 shoots be feeble, or if some be feeble and others 

 vigorous, in both cases the knife is the remedy; 

 shortening all, in the first case, to five or six eyes 

 each ; and in the other, the feeblest only. Future 

 prunings will but be repetitions of this ; and, as a 

 general rule, every pruning must be followed by a 

 thorough digging of the earth about the roots of the 

 plant. 



The insects most injurious to the grape-vine are 

 the red spider, which is best expelled by frequent 

 waterings ; and the thrips, and one or two sorts of 

 the cocci,* which may be destroyed by smoke. 

 The best protection against the blue fly is furnished 

 by bottles filled with any kind of sweet liquor, and 

 hung up among the vines ; and horsehair bags will 

 completely defend the fruit against the attacks of 

 wasps and garden birds. 



The FIG-TREE (Ficus), (classed by horticulturists 

 among the berries), f is a native of Asia ; and in all 

 hot climates may be made an important object of 

 cultivation. In Greece and in the Ionian Isles it at- 

 tains to the size of an apple-tree, bears its foliage 

 throughout the year, and is remarkable for hardi- 

 ness and longevity. Even in climates less propi- 

 tious to it, it retains the last of these qualities. One 

 brought to England from Aleppo in 1643, by Dr. 

 Pocock, is yet living and vigorous ; and another, in- 

 troduced by Cardinal Pole more than a century 

 earlier (1525), is said to be in the same condition. J 

 The species of it are very numerous ; but of this 

 long list we shall speak only of the Ficus Carica, or 

 common fig, because it is only from the cultivation 

 of this that we may have anything to hope. Nor of 

 its varieties do we know more than six that can 

 probably be acclimated on the banks of the Hudson, 



* Hesperidum and Adonidum. 

 t Loudon. J Idem. 



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