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23

of Husbandry and Gardening.'

Of the Fig.

T HE Fig-tree, as Authors relate, wasbrought from Barbary into Europe , andhas made a considerable Progress in the SouthParts of France , in Spain and Italy ; where inLength of Time the Number of forts are becomeas numerous as of any other Fruit. In Greek theFruiris called 2 uxov, and in Latin^ Ficus ; the Ara-bians give it the Name of Sin , Fin , and7z>?; in Italyit is called Fichi ; and by the Spaniards Hygos ; andthe French , Figue-, the Germans call it Feighen- yand the Hollanders^ Feigen. Some forts yield excel-lent Fruit if they are well managed and gatherdwhen they are full ripe; but the Want of Know-ledge how to cultivate them as they should be,and to know when they are in Perfection, hashinderd their Progress in England. To answerthe first, I shall give my Reader some Paperswhich I have lately receivd from Mr. SecretaryJohnston of Fwittenham , which contain an ex-cellent Method of managing the Fig-tree:And for the second which is to know when theFig is full ripe, I shall follow the late curiousLord Cape! s Rule; which is, that a Fig, whenit has a Drop hanging at the End of the Fruit,is then in full Perfection.

And since I have given some Account of theoriginal Names of the Tribes of Fruits whichare now cultivated among us, and have addedsuch Remarks, as I can gather from the Greekand Latin Authors, concerning the Climate,where each kind naturally had its Station; Ishall proceed to offer some Observations of avery curious Person in Fmnce , who had. longapplyd himself to the Study of Fruit Trees,C 4 and