CULTURE OF THE APRICOT. 



561 



rig. G8 — r/i« Berda Apricot 



perish, with this temperature, (the thermo- 

 meter standing at 23^,) seemed inevita- 

 ble. 



We find, however, that three sorts have 

 withstood the frost. These are the Roman, 

 the Breda, growing in our own garden, and 

 Dubois' Early, in the garden of a neighbor. 

 These sorts have set good crops, and have, 

 therefore, distinctly proved their greater 

 hardiness. 



The Breda apricot, like the other two, is 

 a small variety. But it bears heavily; the 

 fruit growing in groups or clusters on the 

 branches, and the tree forms a broad bushy 

 head. The fruit is a beautiful dark golden 

 yellow in colour, round in figure, moderate- 

 ly juicy, and quite sweet and rich in fla- 

 VcL. II. 71 



vor. It hangs on the tree sometime after 

 ripening, and is altogether one of the most 

 desirable sort? for general cultivation. We 

 observe that Mr. Rivers, the English nur- 

 seryman, says, in his Catalogue, it is " the 

 only variet)'^ that succeeds as a standard" 

 in that country.* 



There are few persons who know how 

 excellent these small hardy apricots — the 

 common Roman, Early Golden and Breda, 

 are for tarts, — gathered at the last thinning 

 of the fruit, just before it commences to 

 ripen. Apricot tarts are more piquant and 

 delicious to our taste than those of any 

 other fruit. 



* A spurious sort is sometimes cultivated umlo'- this name 

 The true Brtda is round not oval. 



