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cut, sound, dry straw must be better, as the dusting of meal on the bran will produce mites, &c.-The grapes bagged, and the jar or pot being filled, layer and layer with them and the cut-straw, they are then closely secured in a dry room, nor cold nor hot.

FIGS.

FIGS have been cultivated in England ever since the year 1562. Mr. Forsyth gives an account of fifteen sorts the best worth cultivating in England. They are, he says, raised from suckers, layers, or cuttings; which will thrive in almost any soil, but do not like a wet bottom: they generally, he adds, produce more fruit on a strong loamy soil than on a dry one. Layers or cuttings are preferable to suckers.

Pruning and Culture of Figs.

They should never, says Mr. Forsyth, be pruned in autumn or during the winter: his best time is the latter end of April or beginning of May; by which time will be seen what shoots have been killed by the frost in winter. The end of those branches more particularly will be hurt where the wood has

not ripened well in antumn: they should be cut into the sound wood, and as near to an eye as possible. When the branches have been suffered to run up, leaving the bottom quite naked, there should be cut out every other branch as near to the ground as can be; which will furnish the wall with fine young wood; observing to stop the ends of the shoots in the beginning of June; this will cause them to throw out side shoots which will bear fruit the next summer. By that time there will be plenty of fine wood: then may be cut down the rest of the old branches left the preceding year, observing to prune them about the same time the pruning was the last year remembering always to pinch off the ends of the strongest shoots, except the leading ones, at the top bud.

When the pruning is in the spring, never shorten the shoots, as the fruit is produced near the tops. There will, he says, be many fine short side and foreright shoots, which should never be cut off but when decayed. These shoots, he thinks, will ripen much better than the long strong ones, and not be so liable to be killed by frost in winter. By following this method, Mr. F. says, the trees will be covered with fruit from top to bottom of the walls, instead

of a few fruit only at the top, as when the common method of pruning is practised.

When the Figs are the size of small nutmegs, pinch off the point of the top bud with the finger and thumb, or cut it with a sharp pen-knife; always remembering to use the powder wherever is the cut or pinch, to stop the oozing of the milk; which, if suffered, would exhaust and injure the trees.

Do not lay in the branches too thick, or near together; their distance should be twelve to eighteen inches from each other.

. In the beginning of winter cover the trees before the frost sets in, or the ends of the shoots will be hurt by the first sharp frosts, before the wood is ri pened and hardened, which will render it necessary to cut them as before. When Fig-trees are very much injured in hard winters, the best way is to cut as near the ground as possible; and the second year they may be got into a fine bearing state, if managed as above directed.

Covering Fig-Trees.

Mr. Forsyth covered with bentings, or short grass from the pleasure grounds; which he finds answers the purpose very well. Figs, he adds, may also be sheltered in winter, by wrapping hay or straw bands round the branches of the trees; then open the ground, lay in the branches of the trees, and cover them over with mould about nine inches deep, leaving the ends of the shoots about three inches out of the ground, and covering the ground over with ⚫ some rotten leaves or old tan, &c. to keep out the frost. The roots also may be so covered.

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Do not uncover the Figs too soon in the spring; and it should be partially, for fear of frosts and cutting winds in April and May; which would kill the young fruit, as it makes its appearance in the spring.

The branches laid into the ground should be taken up in April, taking off the hay and straw bands,

*Bentings, or bent-grass? Under Grapes, p. 129 he says, cover the trees with "nets or bunting (a kind of stuff which ship's colours are made of)." But here, (his p. 136), bentings seem to be the bent-grass; for he says, "bentings or short grass."

and then nail them to the wall. Stick in among the branches some fern leaves, or other light covering, to protect them from drying winds and frosts, till the fruit is of the size of a large walnut, or rather till the leaves are large enough to protect the fruit,

The Italians, to forward the ripening of Figs, drop a little sweet oil from a quill into the dye of the fruit. But take care not to hurt the skin and make the Fig burst. This makes the difference of full two weeks in the ripening.

Soon as the leaves begin to fall, brush them off with a broom, but not till they come off easily, lest the trees be made to bleed at the footstalks. In the same moment clean the stalks of all the stalks of small late fruit ;-which, if suffered to remain in the winter, will rot and injure the tree, so as to prevent it from bearing the next summer.

If milk is seen oozing from the footstalks, apply some of the composition; which will stop it and heal the injured part: and by doing this, ripening and hardening the wood before winter frosts set in will be assisted. See before, p. 38, his powder applied to Vines.

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