158 HISTORY OF FRUITS. 



seen them not only very productive when planted in boxes, 

 but producing two crops more regularly than when planted 

 on the outside and trained under cover, as, when the fruit 

 is gathered, the trees are benefited by removing them into 

 the air, which greatly refreshes them for a second forcing. 

 The maturity of the fig may be accelerated ten or twelve 

 days by pricking the eye of the fruit with an ivory or 

 bone pin dipped in olive oil, when about a third of their 

 size; and although it does not make the fig fruitful like 

 caprification, it adds much to its size and flavour. This 

 simple process is particularly attended to by the culti- 

 vators of figs at Argenteuil, as well as at Naples. It is 

 remarked, that figs growing near a dusty road ripen their 

 fruit the best. 



If the branches of these trees, just as they begin to 

 shew the autumn fruit, be treated as we have already 

 mentioned in describing the apple-tree, excepting that 

 the mould should be more considerable, they may be cut 

 off in the month of November, planted in a pot of good 

 earth, and placed in a hot-house or a common green- 

 house ; the branch will ripen its fruit in the month of 

 May, and which may be brought to table while growing. 



The caprification of figs was practised by the ancients 

 in the same manner as it is now attended to by the in- 

 habitants of the Archipelago ; and it is described by 

 Theophrastus, Plutarch, Pliny, and other authors of an- 

 tiquity. It is too curious a circumstance in the history 

 of the fig-tree to be omitted, as it furnishes a convincing 

 proof of the reality of the sexes of plants. The flowers 

 of the fig-tree are situated within the pulpy receptacle, 

 which we call the fruit. Of these receptacles in the wild 

 fig-tree, some have male flowers only, and others have 

 male and female. 



In the cultivated fig, these are found to contain only 



