1870.] CULTIVATION OF HARDY FRUITS. 201 



may be placed in lines 1 foot apart, and 2 or 3 inches between each : 

 1 \ or 2 inches is a good depth to place them, and if severe or pro- 

 tracted frost should set in during winter, they must be protected in 

 some way. If all goes on well, the following autumn the seedlings 

 will be ready for transplanting into more permanent quarters. This 

 operation may take place in the month of September, and it has been 

 recommended that the taproot should be shortened back, for the ob- 

 vious reason of causing the roots to spread out nearer the surface, thus 

 preventing a coarse habit of growth, and the penetration of the roots 

 down into the bad subsoil. Two feet between the rows, and one foot from 

 plant to plant, will be good distances. As the young trees grow they 

 will require to be regularly shifted, giving them more room at each 

 removal if they are intended to be proved upon their own roots. As 

 this would incur considerable labour, as well as several years' delay, by 

 far the better plan is to take one or two of the best buds off each 

 seedling, and have them budded upon a good, old, healthy tree ; and 

 the probability is, that the seedlings may all be proved before they 

 are three years of age. Those not considered worthy may then be 

 tossed away, those worthy of further trial may be retained and care- 

 fully looked after. When this is being done, care should be taken to 

 have every seedling numbered, and a duplicate should accompany the 

 buds, so that no mistakes may arise. 



The stocks in general use for dwarf-trained Apricots are the Mussel 

 and common Plum, and for those intended for tall standards, or 

 riders, the St Julien is said to be the best, on account of the fine 

 straight stem it produces. In France, the latter stock, as well as 

 Damas Noir and Cerisette, are in very general use. The stocks for this 

 purpose should in all cases be raised from seed, as experience has 

 proved that where suckers had been used the tree was never so 

 healthy as from seed. Trees from suckers are far more liable to exude 

 gum, and are not so long-lived as seedlings. The time for budding the 

 Apricot depends entirely upon circumstances and situation. In the 

 south of England it may be done as early as the middle of June, 

 while in the more remote districts of Scotland it may be the middle of 

 August before all things are in proper condition for the operation. 

 The best rule to be laid down is, that the operation will be performed 

 with the best chance of success when the wood is approaching maturity, 

 the bud and wood parting freely the one from the other. As the 

 w r ood and flower-buds resemble each other somewhat at this period, 

 they should be selected with care, for the labour will be in vain should 

 flower-buds be inserted. Wood-buds are always long and tapering, 

 while flower-buds are more plump and of a roundish form. Various 

 modes of budding may be employed with success, but the simplest, 



