March.] ^HE IFRUIT-GARDEN. 217 
posures; therefore, shall give the method of pruning and training 
them to such. 
In those southern states, where they grow in the open standard 
way, they need no other pruning, than keeping each, on a neat sin- 
gle stem, free from suckers, cutting out any dead or ill placed, 
wood, thinning the young shoots where too crowded, but never top- 
ing any. 
In pruning fig-trees, you must leave a sufficient supply of the 
last summer's shoots from the bottom to the extremity, every way, 
in all parts where possible; and prune out the ill-placed and super- 
fluous shoots thereof, with part of the old bearers, and long extended 
naked old wood, to have due room to train the proper shoots, so as 
the tree may be equally furnished with a succession of young bearers, 
at moderate distances; for these young shoots bear the figs the 
ensuing season; fig-trees always producing their fruit on the ooe- 
year-old wood only. 
Leave the branches and shoots in general, about five to six or 
seven inches asunder, all at full length; being careful to prefer the 
best middling strong shoots to retain for general bearers, cuttingout 
the improper, superabundant, and useless old wood, quite close; 
pruning out any very rampant young wood, excessive long-jointed 
shoots^ or very slender infirm growths; leaving the most promising 
and firm to supply the general expansion. 
Take care always to train in every year some young shoots, at or 
near the bottom, that there may be a succession coming up regularly 
one after another, to supply the places of casual, long, old, naked 
branches, which will occur every season in some part or other of the 
tree; for such long-extended naked old branches, or others, not fur- 
nished properly with young wood, should now be cut out, that there 
may be sufficient room to train the bearing shoots regularly, and at 
proper distances. 
In cutting out useless large branches, either too long extended, 
or unfurnished with bearing wood, 8cc. let them be cut off close 
to the places from whence they proceed, to some convenient lower 
young shoots or branches, leaving no stumps. 
The young branches of Jig-trees must not be shortened or topped; 
but leave each at full length; for if they were, it would not only 
cut away the part where fruit would have appeared, but also occa- 
sion them to run much to wood, and thereby never produce half a 
crop: so only cut off casual dead ends. 
The tree being pruned, let the general branches and bearers be 
directly trained in, and nailed to the wall or fence, or made fast to 
the espalier, in regular order; extending them horizontally, at equal 
distances, six or seven inches from each other. 
Planting and propagating Fig-Trees. 
Plant fig-trees where wanted, this being rather the best month 
in the year for removing them; they will now take root in a very 
short time. 
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