Appendix.] selected from French Authors. 



The branches must be entirely stript of their leaves before this 

 is done ; the gardener then taking hold of the top of each branch, 

 bends it down gradually, and with much care, to prevent its 

 breaking, placing his knee or his hand under such parts as resist 

 the most ; the branches that will not bend low enough to be 

 buried, are cut off close to the ground. 



A Fig Tree will remain buried in this manner seventy-five or 

 eighty days without harm ; when the season is mild, the gardeners 

 uncover them, especially in times of warm rains, but on the first 

 symptoms of frost they are again buried. Severe frosts sometimes 

 reach them, but the branches only are destroyed. The roots pro- 

 duce a new crop in the Summer; but these do not bear fruit till 

 the next year, and are more tender and liable to be killed by 

 frost during the next winter, than older and more woody branches. 



In the Spring the trees are carefully inspected, and where a 

 double bud is observed, the gardeners, who are able to distin- 

 guish a leaf-bud, which is more sharp, from a fruit-bud, which is 

 rounder, pinch out the leaf-bud, without hurting the fruit-buds; 

 these, as they receive the sap prepared by the plant for two 

 purposes, produce fruit of double the ordinary size ; this is done 

 at Paris between the first and the tenth of June ; but these leaf- 

 buds may be suffered to expand a little, till they can be distin- 

 guished with certainty ; they must not be all destroyed at the 

 same time. In cool seasons, the ripening of the fruit is hastened 

 by inserting a drop of oil in the eye, from the point of a pen, or 

 tooth-pick, 



It is necessary in dry seasons to water Fig Trees ; the nature 

 of the plant requires to have its root cool, while its head is ex- 

 posed to the hottest sun. If planted against the south wall of a 

 house near a spout that brings water from the roof, it thrives 

 luxuriantly. Figs do well also in a paved court; the stones keep 

 the ground under them moist and cool, while the surrounding 

 buildings reflect and increase the heat of the sun's rays. 



