F I 



by the fucceeding February, which 

 is the beft time to tranfplant them 5 

 becaufe tho/e planted in Autumn 

 are very apt to be deftroy'd, efpe- 

 cially if the Winter fliould prove 

 hard, or the Soil be moifl into 

 which they are planted. 



The beft Soil for Figs \ri Eng- 

 land, is fuch as hath a gravelly, 

 chalky, or ftony Bottom, with a 

 light dry Surface : for although a 

 ilrong Soil will produce vigorous 

 Branches, and large Leaves ; yet 

 the Fruit will not be in fuch 

 Plenty, nor fb well tafted, as thofe 

 which grow on a poor and dry 

 Soil. 



Fig-trees (hould always be planted 

 in a tree open Situation, not under 

 the Drip of Trees, nor fliaded by 

 Buildings, ^c. But there are very 

 few Sorts that will ripen well with 

 us in England, mod of^ them re- 

 cjuiring a good South, South-Eaft, 

 or South- Weft Wall : for although 

 they will grow very well againft a 

 North or Eaft-afpecaed Wall j yet 

 the Fruit will be very poor, fif 

 any are produced) ill-tafted, and late 

 ripe. 



Thofe Trees which are planted 

 for Standards in the open Air will 

 require very little Culture or Ma- 

 nagement : The chief Thing to be 

 obferv'd, is, to cut out all dead or 

 decaying Branches, as alfo all fuch 

 as crofs each other, that the Mid- 

 dle of the Tree may not be too 

 much crowded with Branches. 

 The beft Seafon for this Work is 

 in Ociober, when the Leaves begin 

 to decay ; at which time you fiiould 

 alfo diveft the Branches of all the 

 latter Crop oi Figs, which, by be- 

 ing fuffer'd to remain upon the 

 Tree, v/ill, with the firft Froft, 

 rot and decay, and thereby infedl 

 the tender Branches : For by feve- 

 fai Exp-riments made by the Re= 



F I 



verend and Learned Mr. Hales and 

 my fclt'i we found that all thole 

 Branches vyhich were divefted of 

 the Figs at that Seafon, reraain'd 

 perfedly found, and produc'd Fruit 

 in Plenty the fucceeding Year ; 

 whereas the other Branches of the 

 fame Tree whereon the Fruit were 

 lefc, were almoft totally deftroy'd 

 in the Winter. The Rcafbn for 

 my making choice of this Seafon, 

 is, becaufe at that time they are 

 not fo fubjed: to bleed ,• and the 

 Wounds then made, if cut clofe 

 and fmooth, will heal over in a 

 fhort time : but it rauft be done 

 early in the Autumn, before the 

 froily Weather comes on, which 

 would be very apt to enter the 

 Places where fuch Wounds were 

 made, and prove very hurtful to 

 the Tree. 



But I fhall next treat of the Ma- 

 nagement neceflary for MM Fig- 

 iyees, which is, perhaps, as little 

 underftood, as any Part of Gar- 

 dening, not only in England, but 

 alio in France, Holland, and moft 

 other Countries. In France, great 

 Numbers of thefe Trees are plant- 

 ed in Tubs or Cafes, and are every 

 Winter prefcrv'd in Green-houfes, 

 with Oranges, Myrtles, O'C. This 

 indeed may be a very good Method 

 to obtain early Figs, provided they 

 are rightly manag'd \ which, I 

 think, can hardly be done, it' in- 

 termix'd with other Kinds of 

 Trees, v/hereby their Branches are 

 apt to mould and fuffcr, for want 

 of a fufticient Quantity of free Air, 

 which thefe Trees lliould always 

 have in open mild Weather. Be- 

 lides, the Fruit will be apt to come 

 out very early m the Seafon, ci^p^- 

 cialiy if the Houfe is kept warm, 

 whereby they will be liable to 

 many Accidents in the Spring ot 

 the Year. So that, upon the w acle, 

 7. A "I wouiU 



