F I G 
Fig-trees are propagated in England, either by the 
fuckers, which are lent out from their roots, and by 
layers made, by laying down of their branches, which 
in one year will put out roots fufficient to be removed, 
or by planting of cuttings, which, if properly managed, 
will take root ; the firft of thefe is a bad method, be- 
caufe all thofe trees which are raifed from fuckers, are 
very fubject to fend out great quantities of fuckers 
ao-ain from their roots ; and the branches of the fuckers 
are not fo compadt, as thofe of the layers, but are fuller 
of fap, fo in greater danger of being injured by the 
froft •, thofe plants which are propagated by layers, 
are the beft, provided the layers are made from the 
branches of fruitful trees •, for thofe which are made 
from the fuckers, or fhoots, produced from old ftools, 
are very foft, and full of fap, fo are in danger of fuf- 
fering by the froft, and thefe will Ihoot greatly into 
wood, but will not be very fruitful ; for, when trees 
have acquired a vicious habit while young, it is feldom 
they are ever brought to be fruitful afterward ; there- 
fore the {hoots which are laid down, fhould be fuch as 
are woody, compad, and well ripened, not young 
fhoots, full of fap, whofe veffels are large and open. 
The beft time for laying down of the branches is in 
autumn ; and if the winter fhould prove very fevere, 
if they are covered with fome old tan, or any other 
mulch, to keep the froft from penetrating the ground, 
it will be of great fervice to them ; by the autumn 
following, thefe will be fufficiently rooted for remov- 
ing, when they fhould be cut off from the old 
plants, becaufe at that feafon the branches are not fo 
full of fap as in the fpring, fo will nr t bleed fo 
much as when cut off in the fpring. If the place is 
ready to receive them, the layers fhould be trank 
planted in autumn, where they are to remain ; but if 
it is not, then the layers may remain till the fpring, 
provided they are feparated from the old plants in 
autumn. As thefe plants do not bear tranfplanting 
well when they are large, it is the better way to plant 
them at firft in places where they are to remain •, and 
after they are planted, the furface of the ground about 
their roots ihould be covered with mulch to keep out 
the froft ; and if the winter fhould prove very fevere, 
it will be proper to cover the branches with Reeds, 
Peas-haulm, Straw, or fome other light covering, 
which will prevent their tender ends being killed by 
the froft, which frequently happens where this care 
is wanting. 
The other method of propagating thefe trees, is by 
cuttings, which fhould be taken from the trees in au- 
tumn, for the reafon before given : thefe muft be cho- 
fen from fuch branches as are compad:, whofe joints 
are near each other •, and they fhould have a part of 
the former year’s wood at their bottom, and the top of 
each ftiould be left entire, not fhortened as is ufually 
pradiifed with other cuttings ; then they fhould be 
planted eight or nine inches deep, in a bed of 
loamy earth, in a warm fituation, covering the fur- 
face of the ground, three or four inches thick, with 
old tanner’s bark, to keep out the froft ; and in fevere 
froft their tops fhould be covered with Straw, Peas- 
haulm, Fern, or other light covering, to prated them 
from froft, which fhould be removed in the fpring ; 
but the tan may remain, for that will prevent the 
drying winds of the fpring, and the fun in fummer, 
from penetrating the ground, and will be of great 
ufe to fecure the cuttings from injury ; thefe cuttings 
will be rooted fufficiently by the following autumn, 
when they fhould be tranfplanted, and treated in the 
fame manner as the layers. 
If fruitful branches of thefe trees are cut off, and 
planted in pots, or tubs, filled with good earth, and 
thefe are plunged into a good hot-bed of tanners bark 
in the ftove, they will put out fruit early in the fpring, 
which will ripen in the middle of May. 
We ffiall now return to the other forts of Figs, which 
grow naturally in warm countries, but are preferved 
in the gardens of thofe who are curious in colledting 
r f are exotic plants, for thefe do not bear eatable fruit 
ih their native foil ; but their leaves being large and 
F I C 
beautiful, the plants make a pleafing variety in the 
ftove. 
The fecond fort grows naturally in the Levant, where 
it becomes a large tree, dividing into many branches* 
which are garniftied with leaves fhaped like thole of 
the Mulberry, and affords a friendly lhade in thofe hot 
countries. The fruit is produced from the trunk and 
larger branches of the tree, and not on the fmaller 
fhoots, as in moft other trees the fhape is like the 
common Fig, but is little efteemed. This is called the 
Sycamore, or Pharaoh’s Fig-tree. 
The third fort grows naturally in India, where it is,fa- 
cred, fo that none dare deftroy them ; it is called by 
fome the Indian God-tree * this rifes with a woody 
Item to a great height, fending out many (lender 
branches, which are garniftied with fmooth heart- 
fhaped leaves, ending in a long tail, or point * they 
are entire, fmooth, and of a light green, having pretty 
long foot-ftalks •, they are between fix and feven inches 
long, and three inches and a half broad toward their 
bafe, diminiftiing gradually to the top, where they run 
out in a narrow point, an inch and a half long. The 
fruit comes out on the branches, which are fmall, 
round, and of no value. 
The fourth fort rifes with many ftalks, which grow 
to the height of thirty or forty feet, dividing into a 
great number of branches, which fend out roots from 
their under branches, many of which reach to the 
ground ; fo that in fuch places where the trees grow 
naturally, their roots and branches are fo interwoven 
with each other, as to render the places impaffable. In 
India, the Banyans trail the branches of thefe trees 
into regular archades, and fet up their pagods under 
them, thefe being the places of their devotion. Ih 
America, where thefe trees are equally plenty, they 
form fuch thickets, as neither man nor beaft can pafs 
through. The leaves of this fort are of a thick fub- 
ftance, fmooth, and oval ; they are fix inches long, 
and four inches broad, with obtufe ends. The fruit 
is the fize of a marble, and round, but of no ufe. 
The fifth fort grows naturally in both Indies; this 
rifes with a woody ftalk to the height of thirty feet, 
fending out many branches, which are garniftied with 
oblong leaves Handing upon pretty long foot-ftalks ; 
they are about fix or eight inches long, and two inches 
and a half broad, ending in an obtufe point, of a dark 
green, and fmooth on their upper fide, but of a light 
green, and veined on their under fide. The fruit is 
fmall, and of no value. The branches of thefe trees 
fend out roots from their lower fide, which fome- 
times reach the ground. 
The fixth fort grows naturally in the Weft-Indies, 
where it rifes to the height of thirty or forty feet, 
fending ont many (lender branches, which put out 
roots in the fame manner as the former. The leaves 
of this are eight or nine inches long, and two inches 
broad, ending in points. The fruit is fmall, round, 
and of a blood colour when ripe, but is not eatable. 
The feventh fort grows naturally in India, where it 
rifes to the height of twenty-five feet, and divides in- 
to many branches, which are garniftied with oval- 
pointed leaves, which are fmooth, and of a lucid green. 
The fruit is fmall, and grows in clufters from the fide 
of the branches ; thefe are not eatable. 
The eighth fort grows naturally in India ; this is a 
low trailing ffirub, whofe ftalks put out roots at their 
joints, which ftrike into the ground, fo is propagated 
plentifully where it naturally grows. The leaves are 
two inches and a half long, and near two inches broad, 
ending in points ; they are of a lucid green, and are 
placed without order on the branches ; the fruit is 
fmall, and not eatable. 
The ninth fort rifes with a ftrong, upright, woody 
ftalk twenty feet high, fending out feveral fide 
branches, which are garniftied with large, oval, ftiff 
leaves, about fourteen inches long, and near a foot 
broad, and are rounded at the ends ; they have feveral 
tranfverfe veins, which run from the midrib to the 
Tides. The foot-ftalks are long, and frequently 
turned next to the branches ; the upper fide of the 
leaves 
