FIG. 159 



female flowers, that are fecundated by means of a kind of 

 gnat bred in the fruit of the wild fig-trees, which pierces 

 that of the cultivated, "in order to deposit its eggs within; 

 at the same time diffusing within the receptacle the farina 

 of the male flowers : without this operation, the fruit may 

 ripen, but no effective seeds are produced. Hence it is 

 that we can raise no fig-trees from the fruit of our own 

 gardens, having no wild figs to assist the seed. They are 

 consequently raised by cuttings, or by layers. 



In many parts of the Grecian islands, the inhabitants 

 pay such attention to the caprification of the cultivated 

 figs, that they attend daily for three months in the year 

 to gather -these little flies from the wild fig-trees, and to 

 place them on the fig-trees in their gardens, by which 

 means they not only get finer fruit, but from ten to twelve 

 times the quantity : thus one of the most minute insects 

 is, by the attention of man, made a principal cultivator 

 of fruit. 



It is a curious fact, that fresh-killed venison, or any 

 other animal food, being hung up in a fig-tree for a single 

 night, will become as tender, and as ready for dressing, 

 as if kept for many days or weeks in the common manner. 

 A gentleman, who lately made the experiment, assured 

 the author that a haunch of venison which had lately 

 been killed, was hung up in a fig-tree when the leaves 

 were on, at about ten o'clock in the evening, and was re- 

 moved before sun-rise in the morning, when it was found 

 in a perfect state for cooking; and he added, that in a 

 few hours more it would have been in a state of putre- 

 faction. 



In the neighbourhood of Argenteuil, near Paris, are 

 immense fields covered with fig-trees : the inhabitants of 

 the former town derive their chief support from the cul- 

 ture of this fruit ; and we feel confident that there are 



