F I 



warm Walls, if the Spring proves 

 warm, the young Figs are pufhed 

 out early ; and the Cold, which 

 frequently return in April and May, 

 cauies the greateil Part of the Fruit 

 to drop or?: fo that our Crop of Figs 

 is generally more uncertain, than 

 molt other Sorts of Fruit ; and it 

 frequently happens, that Trees which 

 are planted againit North and Eaft 

 afpe&ed Wall.-, produce a greater 

 Quantity of Fruit in England, than 

 thofe which are planted againit South 

 and South earl bipeds ; which muft 

 arife from the latter putting out 

 their Fruit fo much eariier in the 

 Spring than the former: and if there 

 happen coid frolty Nights, after the 

 Figs are come our, which is fre- 

 quently the Cafe in this Country, 

 the forwarder!: of the Figs are ge- 

 nerally fo injured as to drop off 

 from the 'Frees foon after, hi Italy, 

 and the other warm Countries, this 

 firit Crop of Figs is little regarded, 

 being few in Number ; for it is the 

 fecond Crop of F jg-. which are pro- 

 duced from the Shoots of the fame 

 Year, which is their principal Crop; 

 but thefe rarely tipen in England-, 

 nor are there above three or four 

 Sorts which ever r:pen their fecond 

 Crop, let the Summer prove ever fo 

 good ; therefore it is the hrit Crop 

 which we mull at end to in England: 

 fo that when thefe Trees are grow- 

 ing againit the belt-afpected Walls, 

 it will be a good Method to looien 

 them from the Wall in Autumn ; 

 and after having di veiled the Branches 

 iof all the latter Fruit, to lay the 

 Branches down from the Wall, fatten- 

 ing them together in fmall Bundles, 

 fo that they may be tied to Stakes, 

 to keep them from lying upon the 

 Ground; the Damp whereof, when 

 ;overed in frolty Weather, might 

 :aufe them to grow mouldy : and 

 hereby thev will be ice u red from 

 Vol. I. 



F I 



being broken by the Wind. When 

 they are thus managed in Autumn, 

 if the Winter fhould prove very 

 fevere, the Branches may be eafily\ 

 covered with Peas - haulm, Straw, 

 or any other light Covering, which 

 will guard the tender fruit- bearing 

 Branches from the Injury of Froft : 

 and when the Weather is mild, the 

 Covering muft be removed, other- 

 wife the Figs will come out too 

 early ; for the Intention of this Ma- 

 nagement is, to keep them as back- 

 ward as poffible : then in the Spring, 

 when the Figs are beginning to pufh 

 out, the Trees may be fattened up 

 to the Wall again. By this Manage- 

 ment, I have feen very great Crops 

 of Figs produced in two or three 

 Places. 



I have aifo feen great Crops of 

 Fig-> in fome parcicular Gardens, 

 after very lliarp Winters; when they 

 have, iri general, failed in other 

 Places, by covering up the Tiees 

 with Reeds made into Panels, and 

 fixed up againit the Walls. 



In the Pruning of Fig-trees, the 

 Branches mult never be fliorteucd ; 

 becaufe the Fruit are all produced 

 at the Upper-part of the Shoots ; 

 fo, if thefe are cut off, there can 

 be no Fruit expected; befide, the 

 Branches arc very apt to die after 

 the Knife : fo that when the Branches 

 are too dole together, the belt Way 

 is to cut out all the naked Brandies 

 quite to the Bottom, leaving thofe 

 which are belt furnifhed with lateral 

 Branches at a proper Dillance from 

 each other, which mould not be 

 nearer than* a Foot : and when they 

 are well furnimed with lateral 

 Branches, if they are bid four or 

 five Inches farther afunder, it will 

 be better. 



The belt Seafon for pruning of 

 Fig trees is in Autumn, becauie at 

 that time the Branches are net fo . 

 K k fuil 



