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have fertilized. Mr. Milne gives a long and 
curious account of the procefs of caprification; 
but it is difficult to affent to the truth of the 
neceffity of it, there appear to me fo many 
objections againft it. Firft, there is not any 
fpecies of fig known, which bears piftils only; 
confequently not any which is not fufficient 
in itfelf to it's own fertilization. In Provence 
and Spain the cultivated fig is proved to be 
fo by being brought to perfection without the 
procefs of caprification. Secondly, thefe fruits 
generally open at the top, at the time that 
their ftamens become mature ; a circumftance 
analogous to all water plants, which rife to 
the furface, when their ftamens are ready to 
fcatter their duft, in order that they may dife 
perfe it in the open air ; an element which 
feems neceflary for that procefs. 
The procefs of caprification has been 
efteemed a powerful argument for Linneus's 
fyftem of the anther-duft being efTential to 
the perfect production of feed, and made ufe 
of as fuch by many intelligent authors. The 
late ingenious Dr. Darwin found fo many 
difficulties to be furmounted in the belief of 
this procefs, that he ventures to refufe his 
affent to it. He conjectures that thofe figs, 
H which 
