By Sir Charles Miles Lambert Monck. 173 



are best for eating. Some of the seeds which it contained 

 were apparently perfect; for, when the whole fruit was mashed 

 and mixed with water, some of them sunk, and others 

 swam. I sowed those which sunk : perhaps they may rise 

 next spring. 



The Figs of the second or summer crop, which I have 

 gathered this autumn from some ringed branches of this tree, 

 covering about fifty-four square feet of wall at the back of 

 the conservatory, exceed two hundred in number. Those 

 branches of the same tree, which had not been ringed, bore 

 very few Figs, and those few did not swell to above half the 

 size of the other, though they were not deficient in flavour. 

 The rings cut were about a quarter of an inch broad, and 

 they closed for the most part the same season by reproduc- 

 tion of the bark. 



The Fig tree, I believe to be, of all the fruit trees which 

 we cultivate in our gardens, the least understood ; but, to 

 those who may have acquired a knowledge of its habits, the 

 most tractable. No tree is propagated more easily. I sent 

 down in April last to this place, from London, two cuttings 

 of Figs. They were so small as to travel by the post in a 

 common letter-cover. I have gathered this autumn from one 

 of them three ripe Figs, and two from the other. 



The Fig tree may be checked in its useless habit of luxu- 

 riant growth by ringing, so as to become fruitful at a very 

 small size. 



It may be forced by heat, and liquid manure, with copious 

 irrigation, so as to support an abundant crop of fruit, and 

 bring them to perfection to a greater extent than any other 

 tree. 



