276 Bulletin 71. 



trees. On all the lighter and drier soils, — and these will probably 

 comprise the greater part of lands devoted to the apricot — the 

 peach, nursery-budded, will probably be found to be the best. In 

 order to prevent the unions of nursery-budded trees from breaking, 

 the trees should be set low, so that, if possible, the union is below 

 ground ; and this is especially important with the peach stock in 

 order to escape injury- from the borer. It will also be found to be 

 advisable, no doubt, to head in the tops more or less, to prevent 

 them from exercising too much leverage. With these conditions 

 and precautions fulfilled, there need be only very small loss of or- 

 chard trees from poor unions. 



The apricot, when grown under the best conditions, may be 

 considered to be nearly or quite as productive as the peach. Like 

 other fruit trees, it bears in alternate years, unless the crops are very 

 heavily thinned. New York apricots are of superior qualitj' and 

 are popular in markets where they are known. They are to be 

 considered as a dessert or fancy fruit, and should, therefore, be 

 neatly packed in small and tasty packages. Under the right con- 

 ditions and with careful attention, the apricot is, no doubt, des- 

 tined to become a profitable fruit in this State ; but it can never 

 be recommended for general or indiscriminate planting. Only 

 the best fruit-growers can succeed with it. 



The most serious enemy of the apricot is the curculio, the same 

 pestiferous insect which attacks the plum and peach. It seems to 

 have a particular fondness for the apricot, and as the fruit sets 

 very early the crop maj^ be expected to be destroyed unless the 

 most vigilant means are employed of fighting the insect. The 

 best way to dispose of the curculio in apricot orchards is to catch 

 him. Spraying with arsenical poisons is uncertain. The insect 

 must be caught by jarring the trees, in the same manner as on 

 plums and peaches, but the work must be even more thoroughly 

 done than upon those fruits. The jarring should begin as soon 

 as the blossoms fall and continue as long as the insects are numer- 

 ous enough to do serious damage. It will usually be necessary to 

 catch the insects for four or six weeks, two or three times a week, 

 or perhaps, even every day. The work must be done early in 

 the morning, while the curculio is indisposed to fly. It is said 

 by some growers that the curculio is really more fond of the plum 



