What Advantages can redound from a laborious Culture of fuch Trees as produce but indifferent Fruits? Let us rather devote our Time and Soil to thofe Productions that are moft perfect. I intend, my dear Chevalier, to inform you, in our next Walk, how a Garden may be employed in the moft beneficial Manner, by prefenting you with a Catalogue of those Species which ought to be admitted, in exclufion to all others; and I fhall then acquaint you with their proper Management, through the whole Courfe of the Year.

Chevalier. If your Lordship is refolved to confine me to fuch a strict Oeconomy, I doubt I must bid adieu to Philofophy.

Prior. Not at all, Sir, I affure you. True Philofophy always begins with a reasonable Oeconomy; and it is this alone which enables us to pass our Days in tranquillity, as well as to render good Offices to others, and to conduct all our Undertakings with Decency. What Prerogative has any Perfon to philofophize on what paffes in the Heavens, and to range the whole Syftem of the World, if he is unable to regulate his own Habitation?

FRUIT S.

DIALOGUE IX.

The COUNT. The COUNTESS. The CHE

VALIER.

Chevalier.

N

EW Figs in the Month of May, with Grapes of the laft Year's Growth! Surely this is a very uncommon Defert.

Countess. You fee, Sir, we can unite the old Fruits with the new.

Chevalier. I fuppofe the Figs may be owing to the Heat of the Stove and the Dexterity of the Gardener; but is the Preservation of the autumnal Fruits likewife the Effect of his Care? I am apt to think they have been managed by fome other Hand.

Countefs. This is a Province I have reserved to myself, and have fometimes been fo fuccefsful, as to preferve the St. Germain Pear to the Month of February, and the Virgoleufe even to April.

Count.

Count. New Expedients are daily invented for caufing agreeable Surprifes, by prefenting us with fuch Fruits as are not to be expected, according to the Course of the Seafon; and the Imagination can never be too fertil in furnishing fuch Expedients as thefe: But the Point from whence we ought to fet out, in order to fecure a Supply of fine Fruit through the whole Courfe of the Year, is a right Knowledge of the Seafon in which each particular Fruit attains its Maturity, either on the Tree or in the Confervatory; and a regular Choice of thofe Species that are proper to be planted in the Kitchen-Garden.

Countefs. Thofe that are most excellent ought to be procured for all Seasons, and one fhould never take up with fuch as are indifferent, except when the others are not to be acquired.

Chevalier. The Number of excellent Fruits is not extremely great; and I can easily fet down their Names and Succeffions in my Book of Memorandums.

Count. I promised to furnish you with the Particulars. Countefs. Let us begin with the Fruits of the present Month.

Chevalier. I always thought that Flowers were the only Productions of May.

Countess. We intend to entertain you with a Collation of Strawberries To-morrow.

Chevalier. Does your Ladyship mean fuch Early May as will be red and tender?

Fruits.

Countefs. Ido, Sir: And if you are disposed to be incredulous, I can even cause them to ripen in the Month of April. I affure you, we had fome brought to Table two Days before we were favoured with your Company.

Chevalier. I fuppofe the Stove is inftrumental in furnishing thefe Novelties.

Count. Not at all; the young Plants were brought from the Woods in Autumn, and were then tranfplanted into a Bed. Care was taken to give them a new Supply of Heat in February, difpofing a Lay of fresh Horfe-Dung round the Bed; and the reft has been compleated by the SunBeams and Glafs-Bells properly managed.

Countess. I propofe, within fifteen Days at moft, to prefent you with a Defert of early May Cherries, attended

by Strawberries in their full Perfection, and produced by the natural Soil. Thefe are Part of my Revenues, and I yearly receive them myself. As to the Manner of their Production, the Count will acquaint you with the Particulars.

Count. In order to raise a Growth of Early Cherries, it will only be neceffary to train your Trees to the Espalier in the best Expofure; and if you are defirous of forward Strawberries in an open Soil, all the Precaution you need obferve is, to take the Plants out of their native Earth, and place them at the Foot of a Wall fufficiently exposed to the Sun. The Flowers that bloom last in Spring are to be retrenched; but thofe which make the first Appearance Thould be ftrengthen'd and aided as much as poffible. These are foon enlarged, and the Fruits they produce are rendered much finer by this Management,

When the Fruit-Seafon of thefe Plants is over, they should be cut even with the Surface of the Earth, which will give an additional Vigour to the Roots; whereas, if the Stems are permitted to continue in their full Growth, the Roots will be exhausted in nourishing a Profufion of Shoots, which will bend fpontaneoufly into the Earth, and weaken each other by their immoderate Number.

A Bed of Strawberry-Plants will continue fertil for three Years; but a third Part of them fhould be annually deftroyed, in order to replenish that Part of the Plot with young Plants from the Woods; and there will always be a fufficient Supply of good Fruit, when this Method is purfued.

Rafberries.
Goofeberries.

Countefs. Strawberries and early Cherries will be accompanied by Rafberries and Gooseberries in June and common Cherries will be gathered about the Middle of that Month. Thefe will foon be fucceeded by the Montmorenci Cherry, and the White and Black-Hearts, which are in the greatest Esteem.

July is the Month for Red Fruits, and our Deferts will then be graced with all the Kinds I have already mentioned; together with the English Cherry, which is fo generally valued for its Largenefs and fweet Flavour: The Black Cherry

Cherries, &c.

will

will likewise make its Appearance at the fame Time; and the Fig-Tree will then afford us fome Productions to grace the firit Courses at our Entertainments. Toward the Middle of the fame Month we fhall gather early Peaches; the little Peach of Troyes; Catalonian and Perdrigon Plums; the earliest Apricots, and feveral excellent Pears, fuch as the Little Musk, the Magdalen, and the Early Rouffelet.

Count. The excellent Flavour of the Mufk Pear is a Compenfation for its extreme Smallhefs.

This Fruit fucceeds beft on an cld Tree, in Summer Pears. the open Air, and in a dry Soil. The Rouf

felet is not very common as yet, but deferves to be rendered fo, because it is as forward as the Musk Pear, and not only exceeds it in the Delicacy of its Juice, but is likewife seven or eight Times as large.

Countess. The latter End of July furnishes me, if I am not mistaken, with the pearly Mirabelle; which is a large Plum, whofe Juice is exceeding fweet. When all thefe Fruits are properly intermixed, they may be formed into Pyramids, and other Imitations of Architecture: The Stories and Projections of which may be ornamented with fhining Colours; and they are likewife capable of being clouded in a very agreeable Manner.

We

The Month of August, instead of beftowing its Fruits, feems to lavish them with the utmoft Prodigality. are then regaled with large Figs, Cherries of the laft Growth, Apricots, and a valt Variety of excellent Pears.

譬

Count. The first of thefe are the Musk Robin, which is a Pear of a breaking Pulp, and a rich mufky Flavour; the Cuiffe Madame, whofe admirable Juice renders it worthy to be kreened from the Winds, fince the leaft Blaft shakes it from the Tree; the long-ftalk'd Blanquette, much efteemed for its vinous Relifh and its tender Flesh; the Skinless Pear, which is always too tranfient; it is likewife very melting, and full of a perfumed Juice.

Countefs. I am very fond of the Caffette and the Salviati, which are produced at the fame Time: Thefe Pears are very fit to be preferved with Sugar, because they

H 3

have