Occasionally some of the larger branches will have to be removed, in order to make room for the younger ones, else the supply of young wood will be cut off. These must be cut out in the April pruning, selecting those which appear to be worn out, and the least connected with fruit-bearing branches.

Some of the stronger branches will occasionally produce short side shoots; when this happens they must be be preserved till the following summer: those which show fruit must be drawn near the wall, the others should be cut out. When the young figs have attained the size of a nutmeg, the end of that shoot should be pinched off, which will assist in swelling the fruit: when the fruit is gathered these shoots may be removed.

Figs, as open standards, so seldom succeed in this country, that their cultivation in this manner can hardly be recommended; nevertheless, there are some situations where they succeed, and in favourable seasons produce good crops of fruit.

Where such situations do offer, and it is intended to make the experiment, those sorts only should be selected which are known to be the most hardy, and the most productive. The Chestnut, Black Genoa, Large Blue, Murrey, and the small Early White, appear to be the best adapted.

These standards should not exceed six or seven feet in height, and their heads should be kept thin and open to admit sun and air for the purpose of thoroughly ripening the young wood.

In these trees, all luxuriant shoots must be removed; should they however become too luxuriant, the ground should be opened round the roots, and the largest of them shortened: this will give a natural and effectual check to such exuberance, and a supply of short-jointed, moderate-sized shoots obtained. From such as these there will be some probability of a crop of fruit; and on

this account it becomes necessary so to manage the trees that the knife may not be required, except for the pose of cutting out and thinning the heads.

INDEX TO THE FIGS.

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THE gentlemen of Lancashire have given premiums for several years, for raising curious new sorts, remark

able for size and flavour, and the following is a list of two hundred of the principal, which have been exhibited for this purpose, in the years 1825, 1826, 1827, 1828, and 1829.

The first column of figures, in each year, shows the number of prizes which each sort has won, at the different exhibitions throughout England; the second column, the heaviest berry of the aggregate meetings, in pennyweights and grains, troy-weight.

An asterisk* denotes the berry to be new, and to have been brought out in that year which stands at the head of the column under which it appears.