Apricot Growing in Western New York. 283 



Native to Northern China, Mongolia and Mandshuria, but cul- 

 tivated from the earliest times and once thought to have come 

 from Asia Minor (whence the specific name, Armeniaca or 

 Armenian). The species is cultivated somewhat in Japan for its 

 fruit, and probably some of the Japanese varieties introduced into 

 this country belong to it. 



Professor Georgeson writes as follows of its cultivation in 

 Japan : ' ' The apricot is not indigenous, but has probably 

 been introduced from China. It is, however, commonly known 

 among the people, but is not extensively cultivated. It does not 

 seem to be appreciated, and but little attention is paid to it. 

 Andzu is the only native variety that has come under my observa- 

 tion, though there are undoubtedly others." 



Russian apricots. — There are two general types of the apricot 

 in cultivation in this countr}-, the common type and the Russian. 

 It has been repeatedly said that the Russian apricots belong to 

 the species Prunus Sibirica, but this is an error. They comprise a 

 race of the common or European apricot, Prunus Armeniaca, 

 differing from the familiar sorts in having a narrower and rather 

 darker leaf, and generally a smaller and inferior fruit. The 

 Russian almond, sold by L,ovett, is an apricot, but we have not 

 yet fruited it. 



The chief merit attributed to the Russian apricot is its hardi- 

 ness ; but my own experience, extending over about nine years, 

 shows that in central Michigan and in New York the Russian 

 stock is as likely to be injured as the common and better varie- 

 ties. At Lansing, Michigan, a lot of about fifty strong two-year 

 Russian seedlings from Nebraska were killed, most of them root 

 and branch, while budded trees of Russian varieties alongside 

 stood a year or two longer, yet these budded trees finally suc- 

 cumbed. I have always been at a loss to understand why the 

 seedlings should have perished sooner than the budded trees 

 (which were probably on peach roots) ; but I am inclined to 

 think that the soil, although sandy, was uncongenial to the apri- 

 cot roots. Here at Ithaca, in central New York, all apricots 

 endure the climate perfectly, but our winters are less severe than 

 at Lansing. Moorpark, Early Golden, and other common sorts 

 endure our climate equally as well as the Russian varieties. If 



