F I 



The twenty-fecond and twenty- 

 third Sorts here mentioned are very 

 tender Plants, being Inhabitants of 

 warm Countries: I received Seeds 

 of both thefe Sorts from Jamaica^ 

 from which I raifed many Plants, 

 fome of which are grown to a con- 

 fiderable Size ; and the feventeenth 

 Sort has pufrYd out many fmall Figs 

 from the Joints ; but they dropt off 

 in a fhort time without coming to 

 Maturity. 



The twenty-third Sort is called 

 tiie Indian God-tree, it being a Tree 

 under which the fuperftitious Indians 

 perform their Worfhip, 



Thefe are both very handfome 

 Piants, and deferve a Place in all 

 curious Collections of Exotic Trees : 

 they may be propagated by Layers, 

 as the common rig ; but fhould be 

 planted in- Pots of frelh Earth, and 

 preferved in Stoves : in the Summer 

 they may be expofed during the 

 Months of July and Augujt ; but mult 

 be removed into Shelter early in 

 September. During the Winter-fea- 

 fon they will require frequent Wa- 

 terings, provided the Stove is kept 

 to a good Degree of Heat ; other- 

 wife they muit be watered very fpa- 

 ringly. The Heat which thefe Plants 

 belt agree with in the Winter, is 

 about the temperate Point, as mark'd 

 on the Botanical Thermometers ; 

 for in a much greater Degree of 

 Heat they will grow too freely in 

 Winter ; and in a lefs, they will be 

 apt to drop their Leaves, and lofe 

 their leading Bad; whereby the 

 Beauty of the Tree will be greatly 

 impaired. But if you are defirous 

 to have thefe Trees grow to a large 

 Size, and in a fhort time, you mould 

 plunge their Pots into Tanners Bark, 

 which will caufe them to make a 

 confiderable Progref>. I have had 

 Plants of the twenty - fecond Sort, 

 which, by this Management, have 



F i 



been eight Feet high in two Years, 

 from the time of fowing the Seeds;, 

 and the Leaves have been prodigi- 

 oufly large and fair. 



Thefe Trees are Natives of the 

 Eaft and Weft-Indies : in the Eaft- 

 Indies the twenty-fecond is called 

 the Banyan-tree : the Natives trim 

 the Branches of thefe Trees, and 

 train them, fo as to form covered 

 arched Groves; in the Midlt of 

 which, they fet up their Pagods, and, 

 make thefe the Places of their Wor- 

 fhip. In the IVcft-Indies this Tree 

 is called the Bearded Fig-tree, from 

 its fending out Roots from the, 

 Branches, which Mrike down into 

 the Ground ; and from thence ihoot 

 up Stems again ; fo that a fingle 

 Tree, if permitted to grow, will 

 make a Foreft : and thefe Roots, 

 coming out in great Plenty, from all 

 the Branches, form a Cover fo thick, 

 as to render the Places where they 

 grow impaflable ; fo that they are 

 generally Harbours for wild Ani- 

 mals. There are fome of thefe Trees 

 at prefent in England, which have 

 been encouraged in Stoves ; which 

 in a few Years have grown fo large. 

 a£ not to be contained under the 

 Glaffes, tho' they were upward of 

 twenty Feet high ; and have fent 

 down their Roots, and fpread quite 

 over a Bark-bed, ten Feet in Length; 

 bul: as thefe require fo much room, 

 there are no Stoves, yet built, capa- 

 ble of containing them, when they 

 grow large. 



Both thefe Sorts of Figs may be 

 propagated by Cuttings, which may 

 be planted in June or July ; and 

 mould be plunged into a moderate 

 Hot bed of 7'anners Bark, which 

 will promote their Rooting ; fo thac 

 the Cuttings, by this Method, will 

 have made Roots ftrong enough to 

 be transplanted in about two Months; 

 when they fhould be each planted 

 K k 3 int< 



