104 THE KANSAS APRICOT. 



of the crop are very regular and full bearers under rational treatment. 

 A local seedling, the Pringle, was for many years chiefly grown for 

 the earliest ripening, but this has recently been largely superseded by 

 another local seedling, the Newcastle, which is of superior size and 

 about as early. The European varieties. Large Early and Early Golden, 

 are fine in a few localities where they bear well, and do better in south- 

 ern California than elsewhere. The universal favorite is the Koyal ; 

 probably three-fourths of all the trees in the state are of this variety, 

 though recently the area of the Blenheim has been increasing largely. 

 The Hemskirk stands next to the Blenheim in popularity. The Peach 

 apricot is largely grown in the Sacramento valley. 



The best apricot grown in California is the Moorpark ; in size and 

 lusciousness, when well ripened, it heads the list. It is, however, 

 rather shy in bearing, and is forsaken for this fault in most regions. 

 It shows the best behavior in the Santa Clara valley, and is there re- 

 tained, in spite of frequent lapses, because of the high prices which 

 it commands at the canneries. About a dozen other varieties are car- 

 ried in small number by the nurserymen to meet limited local de- 

 mands. Apricots for canning and drying are graded according to 

 size : Extra, not less than two and one-fourth inches in diameter ; No. 

 1, two inches : No. 2, one and one-half inches ; No. 3, one inch. The 

 first three grades must be sound, clean, and free from blemish, and 

 No. 3 must be of good merchantable quality. The shippers and can- 

 ners require well-colored but only firm-ripe fruit, because both the 

 long rail transportation and the canning process require it ; soft, ripe 

 fruit will neither can nor carry. For drying, riper fruit is used, and 

 yet overripeness has to be guarded against to avoid too dark color. 

 For canning, the fruit must be carefully hand-picked; for drying, 

 much is shaken from the trees. 



The drying process consists in cutting the fruit in halves longi- 

 tudinally, dropping out the pit and placing the halves, cavity upper- 

 most, upon light wooden trays. Breaking or tearing the fruit open 

 will not do: it must show clean-cut edges. When the trays are cov- 

 ered they are placed in a tight compartment, usually called a " sulphur 

 box," though it may be of considerable size, and the fruit is exposed 

 to the fumes of slowly burning salphur, to insure its drying to the 

 light golden color which is most acceptable to the trade. The pro- 

 duction of the right color is the end in view, and different dryers 

 regulate the amount of sulphur and the length of exposure accord- 

 ing to the condition of their fruit and their judgment of what it 

 needs. The exposure varies from half an hour to two or three hours, 

 according to circumstances. After sulphuring, the trays are taken to 

 open ground, and the- fruit is cured in the sun. Only a very small 



