THE APRICOT. 



Armeniaca vulgaris Dec. Rosacea of Botanists. 



THE common apricot is a fruit tree in occasional, but not general 

 cultivation. It is of olden date, having been mentioned by Colu- 

 niella, and, afterward, by Pliny and Dioscorides. The latter describes 

 it as known in Italy under the name prcecocia ; while the former 

 mentions that it was introduced into that country about the sixteenth 

 year of the Christian era. Thunberg describes it as abounding in 

 Japan, and attaining the size of a large spreading tree. " The 

 Chinese," says Grossier, " have many varieties, which they cultivate 

 both for ornament and use." The barren mountains west of Pekin 

 are described by the same author as being covered with these trees ; 

 and Professor Pallas states it to be " a native of almost the whole 

 range of the Caucasus." It is also stated to be from Armenia and 

 Arabia, and its name, derived from the Arabic, berkoche, whence the 

 Tuscan, bacoche or albicoco, and the English apricock, and, finally, 

 apricot, about the end of the last century. Coxe, in his work, pub- 

 lished in 1817, says of the apricot: "This fruit is extremely tender 

 in our severe Winters, in exposed or open situations, unprotected by 

 a wall ;" and similar statements have been made by writers, from 

 time to time, until, on account of this erroneous impression, of late 

 years its cultivation has been too much neglected. It is not more 

 tender as a tree than our sweet cherries; and, contrary to general 

 statements, they do not require sheltered southern positions, for, in 

 climates like ours, such situations are the most objectionable, tending 

 suddenly to excite or check the circulation of sap, expanding and 

 breaking the tissue of liber, often destroying the tree in an hour, 

 during the months of February or March, although not, perhaps, 

 apparent until the flow of sap commences returning toward the root, 

 in June or July following. Northern or eastern exposures are best, 

 but, in southern or western positions, shielding the bodies and lower 

 limbs with cotton cloth dipped in whitewash, will often act as a 

 preventive. The trees should be shortened-in " freely," as with the 

 peach ; and standards should always be grown more in manner of 

 round-headed dwarfs, than otherwise ; for, if so grown, injury to the 

 fruit from late Spring frosts can often be prevented, by covering 

 them with a cloth. 



Propagation. The apricot is generally propagated by budding on 

 the plum. The small, yellow wild plum of our Western States makes 



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