( 98 ) 
which have their receptacles clofed on all 
fides, might be vegetable monfters cultivated 
for their fruit, as thofe grapes and barberries 
are, which are without feed ; and that the 
procefs of caprification might be of imaginary 
ufe, or that it might contribute to ripen the 
fruit, as thofe apples ripen fooner which are 
wounded and penetrated by worms in our 
own climate ; and this feems probable from 
what is told us by Mr. Milne concerning the 
figs of Malta ; one kind of which, he relates 
from Tournefort, bears two crops in the fame 
year, the figs of the firft being fweet, and 
arriving at perfect maturity without the affift- 
ance of caprification ; thofe of the fecond 
being much fmaller, and not ripening at all, 
if this procefs be not followed. Tournefort 
adds, that the figs in Provence and in Paris 
ripen fooner if they are pricked with a ftraw 
dipped in oil, which feems to make it pro- 
bable that the punfture of infecls in caprifica- 
tion may caufe the fecond crop of fruit to 
jarrive earlier at maturity in Malta ; that is, 
before the inclement part of the feafon comes 
on ; as in our climate the plums and pears 
wounded by infefts frequently ripen fome 
weeks fooner than the others, to which that 
circumftance 
