F I C 
prevent the infection from deftroying all the lower part 
of the branches ; and, by this method, I have ieen a 
moderate crop of Figs put out from the lower part of 
the fhoots ; where, if the (hoots had not been injured, 
there would have been no fruit produced, becaufe it 
is chiefly from the four or five uppermoft joints of the 
(hoots that the fruit comes out ; and it is for this 
reafon, that as many of the (hort lateral branches 
fhould be preferved as poffible, thofe being the moft 
pro du dive of fruit •, for where the long (trait fhoots 
are fattened up, there will be no fruit, but at their ex- 
tremities, fo that all the lower part of the trees will 
be naked, if there is not a particular regard had to 
fupply young fnoots in every part of the trees. 
Thofe trees which are laid down from the efpaliers, 
fhould not be fattened up again till the end of March, 
for the reafons before given, and thofe againft walls 
may remain fome time longer •, and when the large 
fhoots of thefe are nailed up, if the fmall lateral branches 
are thruft behind thefe, to keep then? clofe to the wall, 
it will fecure the young Figsfrom being injured by the 
morning frofts ; and when this danger is over, they 
maybe brought forward to their natural pofition again: 
during the fummer feafon thefe trees will require no 
other pruning, but to ftop the (hoots in the fpring, 
where lateral branches are wanting-, and as the branches 
are often blown down by wind, therefore, whenever 
this happens, they fhould be immediately fattened up 
again, otherwife they will be in danger of breaking -, 
for the leaves of thefe trees being very large and ftiff, 
the wind has great power on them ; fo that where 
the branches are not well fecured, they are frequently 
torn down. 
Thofe trees which are planted againft efpaliers may 
be prote&ed from the injury of froft in the fpring, by 
placing Reeds on each fide the efpalier, which may be 
taken down every day, and put up again at nighty but 
this need not be pradifed in warm weather, but only 
at fuch times as there are cold winds and frofty 
mornings ; and although there is fome trouble and 
expence attending this management, yet the plentiful 
crop of Figs which may this way be obtained, will 
fufficiently recompenfe for both : the beft way of 
making this covering is, to fallen the Reeds with 
rope yarn in fuch a manner as that it may be 
rolled up like a mat, that the whole may with 
great facility be put up or taken down -, and if thefe 
Reeds are carefully rolled up, after the feafon for ufing 
them is over, and put up in a dry Ihed, they will laft 
feveral years. 
There are feveral perfons who of late have planted 
Fig-trees in ftandards, which have fucceeded very 
well ; this pradice was revived, by obferving fome old 
ftandard Fig-trees in fome gardens, which had been 
growing many years, and generally produced a much 
greater plenty of fruit than any of thofe trees which 
were growing againft warm walls ; indeed, thefe ftan- 
dard Fig-trees are in much greater danger of having 
their branches killed by fevere froft, but in mild win- 
ters they generally do better than thofe againft walls ; 
fo that where thefe trees can be covered in very hard 
winters, there will always be plenty of fruit ; and 
thefe may be covered by fattening as many of the 
branches together as can be conveniently brought into 
a bundle, and winding fome Hay-bands, Straw, Peas- 
haulm, or any fuch light covering as can be readily 
procured, which in the fpring may be gradually taken 
off, fo as not to expofe the (hoots all at once to the 
open air and if there is fome fuch light covering laid 
round the items, and upon the furface of the ground 
about their roots, it will more effectually fecure them 
from the danger of froft but when this is praCtifed, 
great care fhould be taken that no mice or rats har- 
bour in this covering, for thefe will eat off the bark 
from their fhoots, and kill them : and I have often 
obferved thofe trees which were againft walls, have 
fuffered greatly by thefe vermin, by having many 
of their largeft branches difbarked near the ground, 
which has abibfutely killed them and it is in 
the winter that thefe vermin do this mifchief to 
them, therefore they fhould be carefully watched 
at that feafon. 
The common blue and white Figs, which are the 
forts which have been the moft generally cultivated in 
England, are not.fo proper to plant for ftandards, as 
fome other forts which have been lately introduced ; 
for they are much tenderer, and are often killed almoft 
to the root, when fome of the other forts, which have 
been growing in the fame fituation, have received very 
little injury from the froft-, indeed the white fort is 
generally a great bearer, and the fruit is Very fweet j 
but to thofe palates which are accuftomed to Figs, that 
fort is not much in efteem, from its want of flavour : 
thofe which have fucceeded beft with me, are the firft 
and third forts. Their branches are rarely hurt by 
froft in winter, and their fruit will always ripen well ? 
for in favourable feafons, many of thefe forts, which, 
were growing againft walls, have ripened their fecond 
crop of fruit tolerably well. I have alfo planted ma- 
ny of thefe forts of Fig-trees againft north-eaft and 
north-weft afpefts ; fome of thofe which were firft 
planted, have produced a good quantity of well tafted 
fruit, but were ripe much later, which has encouraged 
me to plant many more of thefe trees to the fame a ft 
pedts, and alfo to increafe my number of ftandard trees. 
I am aware, that what I have here advanced, in rela- 
tion to the pruning and dreffing of Fig-trees, will be 
condemned by great numbers of people, who will hot 
give themfelves time to confider and examine the rea- 
fons upon which I have founded this pmdtice, not to 
make one Angle experiment to try the truth of it, as 
being vaftly different from the general pradtice of moft 
gardeners, who always imagine, that Fig-trees fhould 
never have much pruning; or, at lead, that they (hould 
always be fuffered to grow very rude from the wall, 
to fome diftance. That by this management I have of- 
ten feen great quantities of fruit I cannot deny, but 
then this has been only after mild winters ; for it is 
very certain, that in (harp froffs few of thefe outfide 
fhoots efcape being greatly injured where they are not 
covered ; whereas it rarely happens that thofe fhoots 
which are clofely nailed to the wall in autumn, or laid 
down and covered, fuffer the leaft damage ; and the 
fruits are always produced a fortnight fooner upon 
thefe branches, than, they are upon thofe which grow 
from the wall : but although the trees which are fuf- 
fered to grow rude from the walls may produce a good 
quantity of fruit for a year or two, yet afterward the 
trees will only bear at the ends of, the (hoots, which 
will then be fo far from the wall, as to receive little 
benefit from it ; nor can the trees be reduced again 
to any regularity, without cutting away the greateft 
number of their branches, by which a year or two 
will be loft before they will come to bear again. 
The feafon alfo for pruning, which I have laid down, 
being vaftly different from the common pratftice and 
opinion of moft gardeners, will alfo be objected againft; 
but I am fure, if any one will but make trial of it, I 
doubt not his experience will confirm what I have here 
advanced ; for as one great injury to this tree proceeds 
from the too great eftufion of lap at the wounded parts, 
by this autumn pruning this is prevented ; for, at 
that feafon, all the parts of European trees which 
call their leaves, are lefs replete with moifture than at 
any other time of the year ; for by the long continu- 
ance of the fummer’s heat, the juices of plants having 
been exhaufted in the nourifbment and augmentation 
of wood, leaves, fruits, &c. and alfo great quantities 
being evaporated by perfpiration, the root not being 
able to fend up a fupply equivalent to this great con- 
fumption, the branches muft contain a much lefs quan- 
tity of fap than in the fpring, when it has had feveral 
months fupply from the root ; which, though but 
fmall in proportion to what is fent up when the heat 
is greater, yet there being little or no wafte, either by 
perfpiration or augmentation, there muft be a greater 
quantity contained in the branches; which alfo is eafily 
to be obferved, by breaking or cutting off a vigorous 
branch of a Fig-tree at both feafons (the fap, being 
milky, may be readily difcerned) when that cut in au- 
5 O tumn 
