P RU 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



p R,U 



411 



shutting out the view through the shrubs in all seasons; there 

 are also many other purposes to which it may be applied, so 

 as to make it very useful and highly ornamental. 



10. Prunus Elliptica. Flowers in racemes; leaves elliptic, 

 serrate, smooth ; stem arboreous. This tree is said to have 

 been introduced into Japan by the Portuguese, instead of the 

 Olive. 



11. Prunus Paniculata. Flowers in spreading panicles; 

 leaves elliptic, serrate, smooth ; stem arboreous, wholly 

 smooth. Native of Japan. 



12. Prunus Mahaleb; Perfumed Cherry Tree. Flowers 

 in terminating corymbs; leaves ovate. This is a low crooked 

 tree ; the fruit yields a bitter purple juice ; the wood is red, 

 very hard, and greatly esteemed by the French cabinet makers. 

 It is often confounded with that of the first species, under the 

 name of Sain Lucie Wood. The leaves and flowers afford a 

 pleasant distilled water. It flowers in April and May. Na- 

 tive of Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the south of France, 

 Piedmont, Crim Tartary, and on all parts of Mount Cau- 

 casus. This is often propagated, by being grafted on any 

 sort of Cherry-stock. 



13. Prunus Armeniaca; Apricock or Apricot Tree. Flow- 

 ers sessile ; leaves subcordate. This fruit-tree is sufficiently 

 distinguished by its broad roundish leaves, drawn to a point 

 at the end, smooth, glandular at the base in front, where 

 they are sometimes slightly cordate, and unequal, that is, one 

 side longer than the other; the edge is finely serrate; the 

 petiole is from half an inch to an inch in length, commonly 

 tinged with red. Linneus remarks, that the vernant leaves 

 are convoluted, that is, not folding flat together, like those of 

 the Cherry, but rolling upwards more or less : the leaves of 

 many Apricot-trees have at all times, in fact, a disposition to 

 this convolution. The flowers are sessile, white, tinged with 

 the same dusky red that appears on the petioles. The fruit 

 is round, yellow within and without, firmer than Plums and 

 most Peaches, enclosing a smooth compressed stone, resem- 

 bling that of the Plum. This fruit is mentioned by Diosco- 

 rides, but it is not certain of what country it is a native ; 

 there is, however, no doubt that it came into Europe from 

 some part of Asia, and, it is supposed, from Armenia. The 

 following are the most excellent kinds: 1. The Masculine, is 

 the first ripe of all the Apricots ; it is a small roundish fruit, 

 of 'a red colour towards the sun; as it ripens, the colour fades 

 to a greenish-yellow on the other side : it has a very quick 

 and high flavour. The tree is very often covered with flowers ; 

 but as they come out early in the spring, they are frequently 

 destroyed by the cold, unless the trees be covered to protect 

 them. 2. The Orange, is the next ripe; it is a much larger 

 fruit than the former, arid changes, as it ripens, to a deep yel- 

 low colour. The flesh being dry, and not high-flavoured, it 



i better for tarts and preserving, than for the dessert. 3. 

 The Algiers, is the next in season ; it is of an oval shape, a 

 little compressed on the sides, and turns to a pale yellow or 

 straw colour when ripe; the flesh is high-flavoured, and very 

 full of juice. 4. The Roman, is the next ripe: this is a larger 

 fruit than the former, and not compressed so much on the 

 sides; the colour is deeper, and the flesh not so moist, as the 

 former. 5. The Turkey Apricot, is still larger than any of 

 the former, and of a globular figure. The skin turns to a 

 deeper colour, and the flesh is firmer than either of the two 

 last preceding sorts. 6. The Breda Apricot, so called, by 

 being brought from Holland to England, came originally from 

 Africa; it is a large roundish fruit, changing to a deep 

 colour when ripe. The flesh is soft, full of juice, and of a 

 deep orange colour inside ; the stone is larger and rounder 

 than in any of the other sorts. This is the best Apricot we 

 VOL. H. 100. 



have, and, when ripened on a standard, is preferred before all 

 others. 7. The Brussels, is the latest ripe of all the Apricots 

 for though planted against a wall, it is generally the middle 

 of August before it is ripe, unless it be planted to a full south 

 aspect ; which should not be done, because the fruit which 

 grows in a warm exposure is never well tasted. This fruit is 

 of a middling size, rather inclining to an oval figure, red on 

 the side next the sun, with many dark spots, and of a green- 

 ish-yellow on the other side ; the flesh is firm, and of a high 

 flavour; the fruit often cracks before it is ripe. Most people 

 prefer this to the former sort, except when that is planted as 

 a standard; in which case the fruit is fuller of juice, and has 

 a much richer flavour. The industry of modern gardeners, 

 and the love of novelty, occasion new varieties to be continu- 

 ally adding to our collection of fruits. Thus, among Apricots, 

 the Masculine is subdivided into the Early White, and the 

 Early Real : we also hear of the Temple Apricot, ripe in the 

 middle of August ; the Moor Park, Peach, Dunmore, or An- 

 son, a large flat-shaped fruit, of a deep yellow colour, and 

 very high-flavoured ; to which might be added a host of 

 others. There is a great, variety of fruiting Apricots in China; 

 and from the wild tree, the fruit of which has little pulp but 

 a large kernel, they extract a great quantity of oil, superior 

 to that produced from walnuts. The barren mountains to 

 the west of Pekin are covered with these trees. They have 

 also a variety of double-blossomed Apricot-trees, which they 

 plant on little mounts in their gardens, and which have a 

 beautiful effect in the spring. They have also dwarf trees, 

 which are placed for ornament in their apartments, where 

 they flower during the winter. The Chinese not only preserve 

 the fruit both wet and dry, but make lozenges from the clari- 

 fied juice, which, dissolved in water, leaves a cool refreshing 

 beverage. It is worthy of remark, that the young shoots of 

 this fruit-tree will dye wool of a fine golden cinnamon colour. 

 Propagation and Culture. Most people train these trees 

 up to stems of six or seven feet high, or bud them upon 

 stocks of that height; but this is an injudicious practice, 

 because the higher the heads of these trees are, the more they 

 are exposed to the cutting winds in the spring, which too 

 frequently destroy the blossoms ; the fruit also is more liable 

 to be blown down in summer, especially if there be high winds 

 when it is ripe. By falling from a great height, the fruit must 

 be bruised and spoiled : therefore half standards, of about 

 thirty inches or three feet high in the stem, are preferable; 

 or they may be planted as dwarfs, against an espalier, where, 

 if skilfully managed, they will produce a large quantity of 

 good fruit, and the trees in espalier may be more conveniently 

 covered in the spring, when the season proves unfavourable, 

 in which case there will be a greater certainty of fruit every 

 year. Apricots are all propagated by budding them on Plum 

 stocks, and will readily take upon almost any sort of Plum, 

 provided the stock be free and thriving. The Brussels sort, 

 however, is usually budded on a sort of stock commonly 

 called the St. Julian, which suits this tree best, being gene- 

 rally planted for standards. The manner of raising the stocks, 

 and budding these trees, will be found under their respective 

 heads, our present subject being their planting and manage- 

 ment. All of them, except the two last sorts, are planted 

 against walls, and should have an east or west aspect; for if 

 they are planted fall south, the great heat causes them to be 

 meally before they become eatable. The borders near these 

 walls should be at least six or eight feet wide, and if moie 

 the better, but a depth of two feet, or at most thirty inches, 

 is quite sufficient. If the ground be a wet cold loam or clay, 

 the border should be raised as much above the level of the 

 surface as it will admit, laying some stones or rubbish in the 

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