196 OF FIGS* 



oozing of the milk, which, if suffered, would 

 greatly exhaust and injure the trees. 



Take care not to lay in the branches too thick ; 

 they should be from a foot to eighteen inches 

 distant. 



The trees must be covered in the beginning of 

 Winter, before the frost sets in, otherwise the ends 

 of the shoots will be hurt by the first sharp frost, 

 before the wood is ripened and hardened, which 

 will oblige you to cut them as before. When Fig- 

 trees are very much injured in hard Winters, the 

 best way will be to cut as near the ground as 

 possible ; and the second year you may get them 

 into a fine bearing state, if you manage them as 

 above directed. 



I shall now give some directions as to the best 

 method of covering them. 



1 generally cover them with bentings, or short 

 grass, from the pleasure ground; which 1 find 

 answers the purpose very well : after it is tho- 

 roughly dry, it may be put in a cock, covering it 

 with straw, to prevent the rain from penetrating 

 into it, which will cause it to heat and rot ; or it 

 may be put into one of the sheds. If you cannot 

 procure grass, get some dry moss. First cover the 

 trees with laurel, yew, fir, or spruce fir boughs, 

 and then tuck in the short grass or moss among 

 the branches, beginning at the top of the tree, 

 tucking in the grass, &c. as you descend, till you 

 come to the bottom. Fern, when well dried, 

 makes an excellent covering. You may thatch 



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