88 TREATISE ON THE CULTURE AND 



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 man- 

 age them as above directed. 



I shall now give some directions as to the best method of 

 covering them. 



I generally cover them with bentings, or short grass, 

 from the pleasure ground ; which I find answers the purpose 

 very well: After it is thoroughly dry, it may be put in a cock, 

 covering it with straw to prevent the rain from penetrating in- 

 to 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 

 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 the tree on the outside with the long leaves of the 

 common fern ; when you can get these, there will be no occa- 

 sion for short grass. Fern, when it can be procured, which 

 it may in most country places, will be found preferable to 

 laurel. 



Figs may also be sheltered in winter by wrapping hay or 

 straw-bands round the branches of the trees ; then open the 

 ground, lay in the branches, and cover them over with mould 

 about nine inches deep, leaving the ends of the shoots about 

 three inches out of the ground, and covering the ground over 

 with some rotten leaves, or old tan, &c. to keep out the 

 frost : You may also cover the roots of the trees in the same 

 manner. 



If the walls are low, and the borders broad, you may 

 bring all the branches front ways ; but when the walls are high 

 you can only bring the side branches forward in the above 

 manner. 



Some cover with reeds and straw ; the latter I by no 

 means approve of, as it is very apt to harbour rats and mice on 

 account of some of the grain being left in it. 



