

APRICOT 



AQUARIUM 



tho fruit in halves longitudinally, dropping out thr pits 

 and placing tho halves, cavity uiiix'rniost, upon lifjht 

 wooden tniys. Hreutins or tearing the fruit o|ien will 

 not do: it must show elean-eut txlges. When tlie Iraxs 

 sire covennl they are plaetni in a tight eonipaitnient, 

 usually ealltxi a "sulfui box," though it ni:i\' he of con- 

 siderable size, and the fruit is exposeii to tlie f tunes of 

 slowly bunting sulfur, to ensure its ilrying to the light 

 golden color wliich is most acceptable to the trade. 

 The proihiction of the riglit color is the end in view, and 

 diffen^nt dryers regulate tlie amount of sidfur and the 

 length of exposure acconling 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, accord- 

 ing to circumstances. .Vfter svdftuing, the trays are 

 taken to open groimd, and the fruit is cured in the sun. 

 Only a very small fraction of the California product of 

 evaporattnl ai)ricots is curtNj in .an evaporator, it 

 requires about six jiounds of fresh apricot* to make one 

 pound of cured fruit. 



284. Good apricot fruits, one-half natural size. 



A moderate estimate of the yield of apricots might be 

 placed at seven and one-half ton.s to the acre; extreme 

 yields are far away from this both ways. 



The apricot Ls, as a rule, a very healthy tree in Cali- 

 fornia. It is, however, subject to injury by scale insects 

 of the lecanium group in some parts of the state. Dur- 

 ing recent years there has been increasing injury by a 

 shot-hole fungus, which perforates the leaves and makes 

 ugly pustules upon the fruit. Such fruit is unfit for 

 canning except the fruit be peeled, v/hich is little done 

 as yet. It also makes low-grafie dried product. This 

 fungus can be repressed by fimgicides of the copper 

 class. Edward J. Wickson. 



AQUARIUM. The aquarium as here understood is 

 a glass tank for live fish, plants, and the like, for the 

 dwelling-house or other suitable place. 



The aquarium should be in a place where it may 

 receive light, but direct sunlight is not necessary; and 

 to keep an aquarium in a healthy condition, living 

 plants in the water are absolutely necessary and 

 plants will not thrive in dark rooms; neither will fish 

 retain their bright coloring. The squiire or rectangular 

 aquaritim with rmen top affords a large breathing- 

 space or air for the fish — which is another requisite, 

 and the fish will be healthier and hve longer than in a 

 gla.ss globe with small neck and orifice. Another and 

 verj' important factor in the aquarium is sand and 

 small pebbhsi. These should be washed clean of all soil 

 before r>lacing in the aquarium. About 2 inches over 

 the bottom is sufficient. The plants should be planted 

 before filling the aquarium with water. Figs. 28.'3-287 

 show u-wful window aquaria. 



285. A museum-jar aquarium. 



\n aquarium, to be in a healthy condition, should 

 contain living plants — oxygenators — which are as 

 necessar\- as food, as fish must have good air. The 

 aquarium nmst be kept clean. The sediment should 

 be removed from the bottom with a dip tube twice a 

 w(>ek, and the inner side of the glass cleaned with a 

 wi|)er once a week. Encourage the growth of the plants 

 at all .seasons; admit 

 plenty of light, but no 

 din'ct sunshine. There 

 should also be a few tad- 

 poles and .snails in the 

 aquariiun. These are 

 \'ery essential, as they 

 are scavengers, and de- 

 vour the confervoid 

 growth that frequently 

 a c c u m u I a t e s on the 

 plants. In fall, give a 

 thorough cleaning and 

 rearrangement of the 

 aquarium, so that all are 

 in the best condition pos- 

 sible before winter sets 

 in. In March it should 

 be carefully looked over, 

 and imdesirable plants removed or transplanted. 

 Additions may be made or any change if necessary. 



Following are some of the best plants to place in the 

 aquarium, all of which can be easily and cheaply pro- 

 cured from dealers who make a specialty of aquatics: 

 Caboniba caroliniana (commonly called Washington- 

 grass or fish-grass) is one of the very best oxygenators 

 and a mo.st desirable plant for the aquarium and can 

 usually be had in quantity at any season, except late in 

 winter. It is usually sold in bunches, but after winter 

 sets in, bunches of cabomba will not i^emain long in a 

 healthy condition in the aquarium without care and 

 attention. Plants to be of benefit in the aquarium must 

 be living, and before these bunches of grass can emit 

 roots and be self-sustaining, the fish too often nibble 

 and disturb them to such a degree that, instead of being 

 serviceable to the aquariiun, they are a positive injury. 

 Eloden, or Anncharis (water pest): there are two forms 

 of this useful plant. E. canadensis is a very rapid grower 

 and may be found in ponds in dense masses. When once 

 established, it is a pest and hard to eradicate; but 

 being of stem growth, it is not so readily grown in the 

 aquarium. The giant form is a very desirable and 

 valuable plant and can be used to good advantage, 

 making a very interesting as well as a valuable plant 

 in the aquarium. Myriophyllum spicalum somewhat 

 resembles the cabomba, but is of a darker color and 

 stronger in growth and texture. It is a hardy plant 

 and will withstand the winters in the neighborhood of 

 Philadelphia. When 

 cabomba is unattain- 

 able, this may be had 

 in good condition. It is 

 also an excellent plant 

 to use for fish spawn 

 during the breeding 

 S(^a.son. This must not 

 be confused with the 

 M yr ioph yll ii m jrroser- 

 pinricoiiles, commonly 

 called parrot 's feather, 

 as the latter is useless 

 as an aquariimi plant. 

 Sagittnria n/itnnn is a 

 very pretty strap-leaf variety of sagittaria and useful 

 for a small aquarium. But S. sinensis, the giant form, 

 is the best of all sagittarias for the aquarium, and 

 is indispensable. When planted in the aquarium and 

 allowed to get well rooted before the fish are intro- 

 duced, it can be relied upon to maintain the aquarium 



286. A rectangular glass aquarium. 



