Of the FIG.

HE Fig-tree, as Authors relate,

brought from Barbary into Europe, and has made a confiderable Progress in the South Parts of France, in Spain and Italy; where in Length of Time the Number of forts are become as numerous as of any other Fruit. In Greek the Fruit is called Zuxov, and in Latin, Ficus; the Arabians give it the Name of Sin, Fin, andTin; in Italy it is called Fichi; and by the Spaniards, Hygos; and the French, Figue; the Germans call it Feighen; and the Hollanders, Feigen. Some forts yield excellent Fruit if they are well managed and gather'd when they are full ripe; but the Want of Knowledge how to cultivate them as they should be, and to know when they are in Perfection, has hinder'd their Progress in England. To anfwer the firft, I fhall give my Reader fome Papers which I have lately receiv'd from Mr. Secretary Johnston of Twittenham, which contain an excellent Method of managing the Fig-tree: And for the second which is to know when the Fig is full ripe, I fhall follow the late curious Lord Capel's Rule; which is, that a Fig, when it has a Drop hanging at the End of the Fruit, is then in full Perfection.

And fince I have given fome Account of the original Names of the Tribes of Fruits which are now cultivated among us, and have added fuch Remarks, as I can gather from the Greek and Latin Authors, concerning the Climate, where each kind naturally had its Station; I fhall proceed to offer fome Obfervations of a very curious Perfon in France, who had long apply'd himself to the Study of Fruit Trees, C 4

and

and had gain'd Knowledge enough thereby to give us not only the Names of the feveral diftinct Kinds, but fuch Defcriptions of the several forts as may point out to us their Mode of Growth, their Shape, their Time of ripening, their Qualities; and has fo exactly defcrib'd the Perfections of every fort, that from his Remarks any one may cafily know every fort of good Fruit, and when in Perfection. When the celebrated Mr. Secretary Johnfton of Twittenham gave me these Papers, I confefs, I was enamoured with them; they gave me a pleafing Idea of every Fruit which may be ftil'd Good, and at the fame time put it in my Power to oblige a great many who are Lovers of Fruit, and hitherto could not know rightly where or when to ask for it; for there is nothing more confufed at prefent among many who profefs themfelves Gardeners, than the true Names of Fruit; and the forts which we have now in England are fo confounded, efpecially if they are foreign, that they have almost loft their original Names, which by little and little have been corrupted, and may be more and more fo; as an Inftance of it, the Pear, call'd in French, L' Epine d' Hyver, has been nam'd by fome Gardeners The Leaping Diver; becaufe, fay fome, the Plants of them which were firft brought to England, fell out of a Boat or Wherry into the Thames, and the Waterman leapt into the Water after them; and therefore this Pear was fo call'd: But to prevent fuch grofs Mistakes for the future, as well as the giving us one fort for another, and at improper Seasons, when Fruits are not in their Perfection by a Month or two. Let us look clofely into the following Remarks, which I hope will be fuch as will help every Lover of

Fruit to eat the Fruits of his Garden in their greatest Perfection, and help many of our curious English Gardeners to fettle the Catalogue of Fruit Trees; for without this is done, many of our beft Fruits for eating raw, may be ftuffed among thofe which are only made tolerable by the Force of the Oven or the Confectionary, or perhaps turn'd out of the Garden as good for nothing. Cafes of this Kind have often occafion'd fevere Reflections to be caft upon the Nurfery Men, who furnish'd the Fruit Trees; when the Fault was not on their Side, but in the Perfons who have brought fuch Fruit to the Table as was not in its due Perfection. I hope then, it will not be my Cafe, to incur the Difpleasure of any one, feeing I propofe every one's Advantage, tho' I find it has been difadvantageous to fome People to make fo bold an Attempt.

The Author, who I fhall give to my Reader, writes himself John Merlet, Efq; a Perfon well known at Paris for his great Judgment in Fruit Trees, and long Experience of them. And as near as poflible, Ifhall give my Readers his own Words concerning the Fruits known to him and mention'd by him.

To begin then with our Author; he introduces his Difcourfe thus,That he would not have undertaken to have written about the Culture of Trees, or of the feveral Species of Fruits; but that, among the many Books that have gone Abroad, there is not one Author that points out to us which Kinds are the moft to be admired, or worthy our Care. Those Papers which have been printed, have treated in general of Fruits, without telling us which are the best or worst. Their Catalogues of Fruit are full of Names, but their Names do not diftinguish their Perfec

tions: Gentlemen therefore, for the most part, who have cultivated Plants from these Lifts, either in Efpaliers or Dwarfs, have rather stock'd themselves with vast Varieties, than confider'd the Goodness of the Fruit they planted; or as it often has happen'd, the fame Fruit under different Names has been cultivated in two or three Places in the fame Garden. This obliges me to abridge the common Catalogue, and preserve only the Names of fuch Fruits as are good with us, and to give their Synonims, and defcribe their feveral remarkable Differences; and moreover to mention such as have not yet been treated of by any Author, or whofe Time of ripening or Perfection has not been juftly obferv'd; without which, Fruits are useless. This Knowledge, in my Opinion, is not unworthy Men of the greatest Quality; and from my Experience, and diligent Application to Fruit for many Years, I fhall therefore freely lay down what I know of the Matter." The most noble Greeks and Romans have indulged their Pleasures in the Fruits of Perfia and Turkey: The Sophy and the Grand Seignior, as well as those Perfonages who bear the highest Rank in thofe Empires, have all of them their Gardens planted with the most delicious Fruits; and fome Years fince, that Curiofity has reacht France, where now Perfons of the most noble Character and Quality apply themselves daily with the greateft Affiduity, to reafon and philofophife upon the pruning of Trees, and to gain Experience in that Art, and the Knowledge of the best Fruits, which every Gardener does not do; few of them regarding the Strength or Weakness of a Tree, or giving their Mind to confider feriously which Branches fhould be taken away, which should be fhortned, or which should be left long upon a

Tree

Tree, to preserve the Wood ftrong and vigorous, or the Fruit large and of a high Flavour. Efpalier Trees must be differently pruned from Dwarf Trees; and again, Stone Fruit requires a Management very different from Kernel Fruit, as I have endeavour'd to explain in few Words at the End of every Chapter, for the Ufe of the Curious; who, I defire, if they have any better Method of their own, that they would be communicative, and make it known with the fame Candour and Sincerity I offer thefe Papers; which are founded upon Experience, and have often been reyifed, corrected, and improved, with the Addition of many good Fruits which has appeared of late Years among us; fuch Memoirs would contribute to the Advantage of Gardens in general, and the Particular Satisfaction of every one' who has the ordering or Direction of a Garden.

"After this ingenious Introduction of Mr. "Merlet, he goes on to give us the Names and "Descriptions of the feveral Sorts of Fruits which "are most in esteem; not troubling himself with

the Characters of those which are indifferent. "And as the Reader takes a Survey of his Per"formance, he must remember, that about Paris,

the Summers are much hotter than with us, " and the Winters much colder; and that the "late Fruits which he treats in Espaliers fhould "be in our Climate rather planted against Walls. "I obferve Mr. Secretary Johnston of Twitten"ham, does not think it below the Rank of "fome Winter Pears, to allow them the best

Walls, and the beft Expofure, and confequent"ly has the beft Fruit. As I fhall have occafion to transpose some of the Chapters of Fruits " mentioned by this curious French Gentleman, for Reasons which will afterwards appear, I fhall

"here