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the rue may therefore exhaust the earth of 

 those properties suitable for the nourishment 

 of bitter plants, and leave the fig-tree to thrive 

 from a soil, which the former has qualified, by 

 consuming the particles of the earth that are 

 pernicious to sweet fruits. Shakspeare seems 

 to have been of this opinion when he wrote 



u And wholesome berries thrive, and ripen best, 

 Neighboured by fruit of baser quality." 



We have now in this country a great va 

 riety of this most delicious and wholesome 

 fruit, which is, I believe, the only kind we 

 possess that has sweetness, without acidity or 

 oiliness. It is nourishing, easy of digestion, 

 and grateful to the stomach; and is much 

 esteemed in the countries where it is culti- 

 vated: but in England, it seems to please 

 only the refined palates of the higher order of 

 society. In some parts of the coast of Sussex, 

 where this fruit ripens in perfection, I have 

 known it not only neglected by the middle 

 and lower classes, but even mentioned with 

 derision in their disputes. 



The fig-tree is distinguished from all other 

 trees we know of, by it's bearing two succes- 

 sive and distinct crops of fruit in one year, 

 each crop being produced on a distinct set of 

 shoots. This climate rarely allows the second 



