DUTCH APRICOT FORCING. 



255 



TABLE OF THE TEMPERATURE AND COURSE OF VEGETATION DURING 

 THE FORCING OF A SMALL ORANGE-APRICOT TREE. 



Date 

 (1S54). 



State of the Ti-ee. 



Remarks. 



Jau. 6 — 14 . 

 Jan. 14—21 



Jan. 21—28 



an. 28 to 1 

 'eb. 8 . . / 



J 



Feb 



Feb. 8—15 



''eb. 15 to \ 

 ilarch 8 . J 



F 



March 



March 8—31 



April 1 to "I 

 jTine 26 . . J 



43° 34° 41° 34' 

 50 41 43 36 



59 



63" 



54 



50 



59 



50 



63 



59 



54 



63 



50 



54 



54 



54 



59 



41 



45 



45 



50 



50 



54 



Total rest in the buds. 



The buds began to stir per- 

 ceptibly about the 16th, espe- 

 cially in the upper shoots. 



The swelling of the buds 

 Ijrogresses ; it is more marted 

 in the upper half of the tree, 

 which is three or four days in 

 advance of the lower half. 



As the budding advances 

 the inequality disappears, the 

 swelling proceeds regularly, 

 and flowers expand on the 4th. 



In flower fi'om the 8th to 

 the 15th. The wood-buds 

 open out, those at the end 

 bursting most vigorously. 

 First fruit set on the 12th. 



Impregnation and setting 

 proceed satisfactorily. Wood- 

 buds shoot out. Leaves slowly 

 imfold, more rapidly on the 

 upper than the lower shoots. 



Petals fall about the 18th 

 February, and young fruits 

 swell. They throw otf the 

 calyxes about the 2nd March. 



Fruits the size of a hazel- 

 nut. The stoppage in their 

 growth, and in the shoots, indi- 

 cates the period of stoning. 

 The leaves large and strong, 

 and shade the fruit ; towards 

 the 27th the stones begin to 

 harden. 



The increase of the fruit 

 and the development of second 

 shoots prove that stones are 

 formed. The fruits now grow 

 rapidly, and towards the 29th 

 April the greenish colour 

 changes to a yellowisli white. 



The first fruits ripen on the 

 27th May. 



January 7.- — Tree watered 

 with eight pots of water at 

 28° Reauni. 



In order that the pit might 

 not cool down too much, the 

 16th January the external 

 dung-bed was raised ; the tree 

 "was also mulched. 



To restore regularity in the 

 shoot, the lower part of the 

 pit only was covered. 



Jan. 23. — Air given to the 

 foot of the tree in order to 

 draw off the superfluous heat. 



Jan. 26. — The external 

 dung-bed was raised. 



Jan. 28. — New fibres had 

 formed on the roots. 



When it snowed or rained 

 during flowering, the pit was 

 covered. 



Feb. 24.— Heat of the ex- 

 ternal bed increased to push 

 forward the flowers. 

 ' Feb. 27. — Lower external 

 bed renew^ed to restore regula- 

 rity in shooting. 



Insects immediately de- 

 stroyed. 8th and 9th March 

 fumigated with tobacco. 



March 20.— The superflu- 

 ous wood is removed and the 

 longest shoots shortened. 



March 30.— Heat of exter- 

 nal bed increased, in order to 

 raise the temperature. 



April 1. — Tree again wa- 

 tered. 



Besides such fruits as fell 

 off none were i-emoved. 



In the course of the sum- 

 mer, 290 well-grown fmits 

 were brought to maturity. 



