514 



TO CULTIVATE THE APRICOT. 



jury from heat and cold, and thereby, to a 

 considerable extent, prevent the attacks of 

 insects in the bark ; for a little observation 

 will convince any one, that insects rarely 

 select thrifty trees with dense foliage, but 

 those with few branches and delicate habit. 

 Where the trees are already pruned in 

 the usual form, viz., standards, with clean 

 trunks five or six feet high, we would pro- 

 tect the bark from injury by the sun and 

 insects, by coating it over with the follow- 

 ing, applied early in May : 



Wash for the Trunks. — Take common 

 white-wash, one pail two-thirds full ; add 

 two quarts pulverized soot, two pounds fine 

 sulphur, and one quart wood ashes ; mix 

 all thoroughly, and apply it to the trunk 

 and principal branches with a common 

 white-wash brush. 



This will protect the bark from the at- 

 tacks of the JEgeria — the insect so fond of 

 depositing its eggs in the trunk. But be- 

 fore it is applied, the tree should be exa- 

 mined; and if any insects have already 

 taken up lodgings therein, (which will be 

 known externally by indications of gum, or 

 discoloration,) they must be taken out with 

 the knife. 



Soil and Exposure. — Any good garden 

 soil, well fertilized with wood ashes, will 

 suit the apricot tree, provided it is deep 

 and well drained, so as not to retain water. 

 In order to secure the former point, it should 

 be trenched at least two feet in depth be- 

 fore planting the trees. This will allow 

 the roots to penetrate deep enough not to 

 be injured by the heat of our violent mid- 

 summer sun, and enable them to collect 

 moisture for the leaves in the dryest part of 

 the season. 



No mistake is so common in this country 

 as that of placing the apricot in the wrong 

 position. Because it is considered a deli- 

 cate fruit, most people fancy they are doing 



it an especial kindness by placing it on the 

 south side of a wall, fence, or building. 

 The tree so placed, is excited into growth 

 early in the season, by which the blossoms 

 are destroyed ; the trunk and branches are 

 exposed to sudden thawings, after severe 

 frost in winter, from the reflected warmth 

 of the wall or building ; and as the site is 

 peculiarly hot and dry in summer, the whole 

 tree is very likely to get parched, suffer 

 from heal, and get into that feeble condi- 

 tion which renders it an easy prey to in- 

 sects. 



The proper aspect for the apricot tree is, 

 then, one rather cool than warm. The 

 open garden will do very well; but a north 

 slope, or even the north side of fences, 

 walls or buildings, is better in this latitude 

 than one on the south. There is no fear 

 that the fruit will not ripen in such situa- 

 tions, wherever in the United States the 

 tree will thrive at all ; for its maturity takes 

 place in our highest summer temperature, 

 and not at the beginning of autumn, like 

 the peach. On the other hand, an apricot 

 in a northern aspect will never be injured 

 by sudden thawing in winter, by too early 

 excitement of the buds in springy or too 

 great heat in summer. The leaves will 

 maintain their verdure better, the fruit will 

 be less likely to fall, and the insects less 

 likely to attack the tree. 



The hardiness and duration of the apri- 

 cot tree is greatly promoted by budding it 

 on the plum stock. This stock, we find, is 

 more enduring than the peach or the apri- 

 cot in this climate, and less liable to suffer 

 by the attacks of insects. We think the 

 flavor rather finer, too, in fruit grown on 

 plum stocks than on peach stocks. 



The Curculio. — The last but the greatest 

 foe to the culture of the apricot. In stony, 

 loamy or clayey soils, like that of our own 

 garden, the Curculio finds so much diffi- 



