56 



to show, that in most of tne territory of the Northern States, we may grr <v profitably 

 this first of garden fruits. 



For more than thirty years past, I have experimented with several varieties, in vari- 

 ous soils and localities, and latterly have cultivated two of the best kinds — the large 

 yellow and small purple figs — wijih entire success. And I am convinced that trees of 

 these two kinds may be made, at small expense, to bear regular and abundant crops of 

 ripe and perfect figs, in any soil and climate on the eastern side pf this continent, where 

 tomatoes will thrive and ripen. 



Below is a brief history of these experiments, which may aid those who engage in 

 cultivating this luscious fruit. Failures, as well as successes, are noted ; for a record 

 even of the failures of an earnest worker is not without value, and may lead others to 

 success. 



In the spring of 1815, my father procured, from Louisiana, two small purple fig 

 trees, which were planted on the South side of the house. They grew vigorously from 

 the start, and for many years after, sending up every spring many sprouts, which, in 

 the summer produced unripe figs, and were killed to the root, or nearly to the root; 

 every winter. This continued for about twenty years. Seeing the extraordinary 

 vitality and endurance of these fig trees, I detached, about October, 1835, a dozen or 

 more sprouts, with roots, and placed them in a barrel, in the cellar, covering the roots 

 with earth. Both sprouts and roots came out unharmed in the spring, were set out in 

 a good soil and sunny site, and some figs on them nearly ripened that season. 



The next October, I covered two of these trees where they grew with stalks of 

 fodder and straw, placed two others in large tubs, and arranged like flower-pots, with 

 holes and gravel in the bottom, and left them in the cellar for the winter. The rest 

 of the young trees, (eight or ten,) I treated as the winter before. The next spring,- 

 I found that the trees which had been left standing, and protected where they grew, 

 were both winter killed to the root, the rest doing well. 



I placed the tubs on a sunny spot, one partly buried, the other on the top of the 

 ground, but the fig trees treated in that way did not do well with me, even with large 

 tubs and extra care, the tree being too vigorous a grower for such confinement. The 

 smaller trees, taken from the cellar and planted in a bed, in a row with the others, 

 throve well, and bore a few ripe figs ; very gratifying as the first fruits of my experi- 

 _ments, but too few and too costly to be satisfactory. 



Finding that the fig tree, to be profitable, must be treated as a standard, and 

 sheltered in the winter where it grows, I gave up the tubs, and took up in October, 

 and placed in the cellar about half only of my trees, the smaller ones, and sheltered 

 the rest where they grew, more carefully than before, with fodder and boards. But 

 they did not thrive with me, when so sheltered, either then or since, except after very 

 mild winters, though I have been at a good deal of pains and expense, and have varied 

 the mode ; sometimes planting trees on the south or east side of a wall and sheltering 

 the other sides. Perhaps others may succeed better in this way, which I gave up with 

 great reluctance. The trees from the cellar, set out that spring bore quite a quantity 

 of fine ripe figs. But after a year or two more, they grew so large that it was costly 

 to remove them to the cellar, and as only part of the roots could be taken up, they did 

 not do so well as younger trees. 



After this, I experimented on several varieties, of which I have retained only the 

 large yellow and small purple kinds, which succeeded best, and gave a succession of 

 crops of ripe figs, from mid- summer to mid-autumn. 



The young fig roots multiplied so fast, that one fall, not having convenient room 

 for them in the cellar, I laid down and covered a dozen or more, rather carelessly, 

 covering them about six inches with earth. Finding these, the next spring, much 

 more vigorous than those left in the cellar, and that they far outgrew them during 

 the summer, I bent down and buried some of the bearing trees the next fall, putting 

 boards at the top and sides of two of them, and carefully covering the tops of others^ 

 before putting the earth on them, with rags, &c, so long as the material lasted, leaving 

 a few of the less thrifty trees covered about six inches with the naked earth. Though 

 that winter was a very severe one, these last came up sound in the spring, and bore 

 fine crops that season ; while those covered with plank, were much later and more 

 feeble, and those protected by rags and litter, had spots of decayed bark, wherever 

 the covering touched them, and bore only a few imperfect figs. 



The solid earth was literally reached at last, about eighteen years ago, and every 

 year since, I haVe had paying crops of at least one variety, and usually of both, more 



