196 



failures. Late frosts often seriously injure or destroy crops of Apricots, 

 and in order to avoid this risk the writer has with success built light 

 roofs of brushwood over the trees, which remained while the danger lasted. 

 The plan is not expensive, and can be easily followed. The directions 

 are as follows ; Sink firmly in the ground at equal distances four posts 

 or saplings, nail lighter ones or battens across the tops, and then cover 

 with a light layer of bushes. It is astonishing what an amount of pro- 

 tection this covering gives, and the extra trouble and expense will 

 generally prove a sound investment in localities where late frosts are 

 troublesome. 



PROPAGATION. 



Propagation is effected by seeds, budding, and grafting. Plants from 

 seeds are, as a matter of course, uncertain in character, which is not 

 known till the fruit is produced. Budding is the method most usually 

 adopted for perpetuating recognised varieties, and may be performed at 

 any time during the growing period when the bark rises freely from 

 the wood. The work, however, is mostly done within a few weeks 

 after midsummer. Apricots, as a rule, thrive best when worked upon 

 their own stocks, and there can be no doubt but that, as in the case of 

 otber trees, the closer the affinity between root and scion the more 

 enduring is the tree likely to be. Very frequently the Apricot is worked 

 upon the Plum, Peach, or Almond, but these stocks, as a rule, are not 

 desirable except to meet peculiar local conditions. Plum stocks are 

 objectionable because of their tendency to throw up suckers, which are 

 troublesome to the cultivator, and, though growth may be vigorous for a 

 time, the trees often go off at an early age. The Cherry Plum is less 

 objectionable than other Plums, and trees worked upon it will often attain 

 a good size and age. For heavy soils, or where retentive sub-soils are not 

 far below the surface, the Plum will often prove the better stock. When 

 worked upon Almond or Peach stocks the trees will often make vigorous 

 growth for a few years, but they are generally short-lived and more prone 

 to diseases than when grown upon their own roots. Some growers are 

 of opinion that the Almond is a seviceable stock for the Apricot in very dry 

 soils, but this has not been sufficiently proved. Grafting is less practised 

 than budding in raising Apricots, and should be done, if necessary, before 

 growth becomes active in the spring. Stocks for either budding or 

 grafting should invariably be seedlings, as suckers and layers never make 

 good trees. 



VARIETIES. 



The following list embraces the most desirable varieties ; 

 Beauge. A hardy, prolific and very late variety, belonging to the 

 Moorpark class. Skin deep yellow, with a red tint on the sunny side. 

 Flesh deep-yellow, firm, but scarcely so well flavoured as the Moorpark 

 and some otner varieties, and separating freely. Stone large, and kernel 

 bitter. A good sort for carrying well, canning, and drying. 



