The Orchard. 579 



Some of thcfe Plums, becaufe of their firmnefle, are vndoubtedly more 

 whollbme then others that are fweete and waterHh, and caufe lefle offence 

 in their ftomackes that eate them; and therefore are preferued with Sugar, 

 to be kept all the yeare. None of them all is vfed in medicines fo much as 

 the great Damfon or Damaske Prune, although all of them for the moft 

 part doe coole, lenilie, and draw forth choller, and thereby are fitted to be 

 vied of fuch as haue chollericke Agues. 



CHAP. XI 1 1 1. 

 Mala Armeniaca Jiue Pracocia. Apricockes. 



THe Apricocke (as I faid) is without queftion a kinde of Plumme, rather then a 

 l'c:ich, both the flower being white, and the ftone of the fruit fmooth alfo, like 

 a Plumme, and yet becaufe of the excellencie of the fruit, and the difference 

 therein from all other Plummes, I haue thought it meete to entreate thereof by it felfe, 

 and Ihew you the varieties haue been obferued in thefe times. 



The Apricocke tree rifeth vp to a very great height, either (landing by it felfe 

 (where it beareth not fo kindly, and very little in our country) or planted againft a 

 wall, as it is moft vfuall, hauing a great ftemme or body, and likewife many great armes 

 or branches, couered with a fmooth barke: the leaues are large, broad, and almoft 

 round, but pointed at the ends, and finely dented about the edges: the flowers are 

 white, as the Plumme tree bloflbmes, but fomewhat larger, and rounder fet : the fruit 

 is round, with a cleft on the one fide, fomewhat like vnto a Peach, being of a yellowifh 

 colour as well on the infide as outfide, of a firme or faft fubftance, and dry, not ouer- 

 moift in the eating, and very pleafant in tafte, containing within it a broad and flat 

 ftone, fomewhat round and fmooth, not rugged as the Peach ftone, with a pleafant 

 fweete kernell (yet fome haue reported, that there is fuch as haue their kernels bitter, 

 which I did neuer fee or know) and is ripe almoft with our firft or earlieft Plummes, 

 and thereof it tooke the name of Pracox ; and it may bee was the earlieft of all others 

 was then knowne, when that name was giuen. 



The great Apricocke, which fome call the long Apricocke, is the greateft and faireft 

 of all the reft. 



The fmaller Apricocke, which fome call the fmall round Apricocke, is thought to 

 be fmall, becaufe it firft fprang from a ftone : but that is not fo ; for the kinde it felfe 

 being inoculated, will bee alwaies fmall, and neuer halfe fo faire and great as the 

 former. 



The white Apricocke hath his leaues more folded together, as if it were halfe dou- 

 ble : it beareth but feldome, and very few, which differ not from the ordinary, but in 

 being more white, without any red when it is ripe. 



The Mafcoline Apricocke hath a finer greene leafe, and thinner then the former, and 

 beareth very feldome any ftore of fruit, which differeth in nothing from the firft, but 

 that it is a little more delicate. 



The long Mafcoline Apricocke hath his fruit growing a little longer then the for- 

 mer, and differeth in nothing elfe. 



I The Argier Apricocke is a fmaller fruit then any of the other, and yellow, but as 

 fweete and delicate as any of them, hauing a blackilh ftone within it, little bigger then 

 a Lacure Cherry ftone : this with many other forts lohn Tradefcante brought with 

 him returning from the Argier voyage, whither hee went voluntary with the Fleete, 

 that went againft the Pyrates in the yeare 1620. 



The Vfe of Apricockes. 



Apricockes are eaten oftentimes in the fame manner that other dainty 

 Plummes are, betweene meales of themfelues, or among other fruit at 



banquets. 



They 



