176 FIG. 



weather may require. Others unnail portions of the 

 branches intermediate between other portions, which 

 are kept in place ; the former are laid over the 

 latter, and fixed there ; grips of dry straw are then 

 thrust among the twigs and branches thus bundled 

 together, and the whole covered with common gar- 

 den mats nailed to the wall on each side. 



Fig trees may be trained in any form ; that is, 

 either in a fan shape, or horizontally, cr with two 

 bottom principals led horizontally, from which 

 leaders rise upright at due distances from each 

 other. These leaders produce laterals, which are 

 the fruit bearers, and which, by pinching at the 

 proper time, may be kept snug and very fruitful. 



Neither insect nor constitutional disease attack the 

 fig tree in this country. If it be either barren or 

 unthrifty, such circumstances are only caused by 

 neglect or mismanagement. 



Figs, like all other fruit, as before mentioned, 

 should be gathered in the morning, and used the 

 same day ; as no fruit spoils sooner after being 

 taken from the tree. There are two marks by which 

 figs are known to be fully ripe ; viz. one is a pearl- 

 like drop at the eye, the other a decay of the stalk 

 of the fruit : being very tender, they require very 

 gentle handling. 



It would appear, that many are deterred from 

 planting this fruit tree, from an erroneous opinion 

 that their culture is difficult, and their crops uncer- 

 tain. But this is a mistake ; nothing is so easy as 

 the first, nor so certain as the last, provided the 



