854 F I C 
figs; whereas in England, where the trees grow againft 
warm walls, if the fpring proves warm, the young figs 
are puffed out early, and the cold, which frequently re¬ 
turns 'a April and May, caufes the greateff part of the 
fruit to drop off; fo that our crop of figs is generally 
more uncertain than mod other forts of fruit; and it 
frequently happens, that trees which are planted againft 
north and eaft afpedfed walls, produce a greater quantity 
of fruit in England than thofe which are planted againft 
fouth and fouth-eaft afpedts; which muft happen front 
the latter putting out their fruit fo much earlier in the 
fpring than the former; and if there happen cold frofty 
nights after the figs are come out, which is frequently 
the cafe in this country, the forwarded of the figs are 
generally fo injured, as to drop off from the trees foon 
after. In Italy, and the other warm countries, this firft 
crop of figs is little regarded, being few in number; for 
it is the fecond crop of figs produced from the (hoots of 
the fame year, which is their principal crop ; but thefe 
rarely ripen in England ; nor are there above three or 
four forts which ever ripen their fecond crop, let the 
fummer prove ever fo good ; therefore it is the firft crop 
which we muft attend to in England ; fo that when thefe 
trees are growing againft the belt afpedted walls, it will 
be a good method to loofen them from the wall in au¬ 
tumn ; and, after having diverted the branches of all the 
latter fruit, to lay the branches down from the wall, faf- 
tening them together in frnall bundles, fo that they may 
be tied to (lakes to keep them from lying upon the 
ground; the damp whereof, when covered in frofty 
weather, might caufe them to grow mouldy, and hereby 
they will be fecured from being broken by the wind. 
When they are thus managed in autumn, if the winter 
fhould prove very fevere, the branches may be eafily co¬ 
vered with peafe-haulm, draw, or any other light covering 
which will guard the tender fruit-bearing branches from 
the injury of froft; and, when the weather is mild, the 
covering muft be removed, otherwife the figs will come 
out too early ; for the intention of this management is to 
keep them as backward as poflible ; then, in the fpring, 
when the figs are beginning to puftt out, the trees may be 
faftened up to the wall again. 
In pruning fig-trees, the branches muft never be fhort- 
ened, becaufe the fruit is all produced at the upper part 
of the fhoots of the former year; if thefe are cut off, 
there can be no fruit expected ; befides, the branches are 
very apt to die after the knife ; fo that when the branches 
are too clofe together, the beft way is to cut out all the 
naked branches quite to the bottom, leaving thofe which 
are beft furni(lied with lateral branches at a proper dif- 
tar.ee from each other, which fhould not be nearer than a 
foot ; and when they are well furnilhed with lateral 
branches, if they are laid four or five inches farther afun- 
der, it will be better. The beft feafon for pruning fig. 
trees is in autumn, becaufe at that time the branches are 
not lb full of fap, and will not bleed fo much as when 
they are pruned in the fpring; and at this feafon the 
branches fhould be diverted of all the autumnal figs, and the 
fooner this is done, when the leaves begin to fall off, the 
better will the young (hoots refill: the cold of the winter. 
There are fome feafons fo cold and moift, that the young 
(hoots of the fig-trees will not harden, but are foft and 
full of juice; when this happens, there is little hope of 
a crop of figs the fucceeding year, for the firft froft in 
autumn will kill the upper part of thefe (hoots for a con- 
fiderable length downward; whenever this happens, it 
is the beft way to cut off all the decayed part of the (hoots, 
which will prevent the infection from dertroying all the 
lower part of the branches. 
Thofe trees which are laid down from the efpaliers, 
fhould not be faftened up again till the end of March for 
the reafons before given, and thofe againft walls may re¬ 
main fome time longer; and when the large (hoots of 
thefe are nailed up, if the frnajl lateral branches are 
thruft behind thefe, to keep them clofe to the wall, it 
US. 
will fecure the young figs from being injured by the 
morning frofts; and when this danger is over, they may¬ 
be brought forward to their natural pofition again; 
during the fummer feafon thefe trees will require no other 
pruning but to flop the fiioots in the fpring, where late, 
ral branches are wanting ; and as the branches are often 
blown down by wind, therefore whenever this happens, 
they ftiould be immediately faftened up again, otherwife 
they will be in danger of breaking ; for the leaves of 
thefe trees being very large and (tiff, the wind has great 
power on them ; fo that where the brandies are not well 
fecured, they are frequently torn down. 
Thofe trees which are planted againft efpaliers may be 
protected 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 night; 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 manage¬ 
ment, yet the plentiful crop of figs which may this way 
be obtained, will fufficiently recompence for both : the 
beft way of making this covering is, to fallen the reeds 
with rope-yarn in fuch a manner, as that they may be 
rolled up like a mat, that the whole may with great fa¬ 
cility 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 (lied, they will laft feveral 
years. 
There are feveral perfons who of late have planted 
fig-trees in ftandards, which have fucceeded very well * 
this practice 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 ot 
fruit than any of thofe trees which were growing againft: 
warm walls ; indeed, thefe ftandard fig-trees are in much 
greater danger of having their branches killed by fevere 
froft, but in mild winters they generally do better than 
thofe againft walls ; fo that where thefe trees can be co¬ 
vered in very hard winters, there will always be plenty 
of fruit; and thefe may be covered by faften'ing as many 
of the branches together as can be conveniently brought 
into a bundle, and winding fome hay-bands, draw, peafe- 
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 fhoots all at once to the open 
air; and if there is fome fuch light covering laid about 
the (ferns, 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 
ftiould be taken that no mice or rats harbour in this 
covering, for thefe will eat off the bark from their (hoots, 
and kill them. 
The common blue and white figs, which are the forts 
which have been the moft generally cultivated in Eng¬ 
land, 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 other forts, which have been growing 
in the fame fituation, have received very little injury 
front the froft; indeed the white fort is generally a great 
bearer, and the fruit is very fweet; but to thofe palates 
which are accuftomed to figs, that fort is not much in 
erteeni, from its want of flavour; thofe which have fuc¬ 
ceeded 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. 
Of late years fome of thefe trees have been planted 
againft fire-walls, which have fucceeded very well where 
they have been properly managed ; but where they have 
been kept too clofe, and drawn by glalfes, they have not 
produced much fruit; therefore whenever this is prac- 
tifed, the heat ftiould not be too great, nor the glalfes, or 
other covering, kept too clofe, but at all times, when the 
weather 
