AMERICAN GARDENER. 197 



though it would contain only half the quantity \ 

 would sell for as much as, upon an average, ta- 

 king in loss by total destruction, twenty barrels 

 sell for now. On the deck is the best part of the 

 ship for apples ; but, if managed as I have di- 

 rected between decks would do very well. In the 

 keeping of apples for market, or for home use, 

 the same precautions ought to be observed as to 

 gathering and laying out to dry ; and, perhaps, 

 to pack in the same way also is the best mode 

 that can be discovered. Dried Apples is an arti- 

 cle of great and general use. Every body knows, 

 that the apples are peeled, cut into about eight 

 pieces, the core taken out, and the pieces put in 

 the sun till they become dry and tough. They 

 are then put by in bags, or boxes, in a dry place. 

 But, the flesh of the apple does not change its 

 nature in the drying ; and therefore, the finest , 

 and not the coarsest, apples should have all this 

 trouble bestowed upon them. 



301. APRICOT. This is a very delightful 

 fruit. It comes earlier than the peach ; and 

 some like it better. It is a hardier tree, bears as 

 well as the peach, and the green fruit, when the 

 size of a hickory-nut, makes a very good tart. 

 When ripe, or nearly ripe, it makes a better pie 

 than the peach ; and the tree, when well raised, 

 planted and cultivated, will last a century. 

 Apricots are budded or grafted upon plum stocks, 

 or upon stocks raised from Apricot-stones. They 

 do not bear so soon as the peach by one year. 

 For the pruning of them see PEACH. There are 

 many sorts of 4firicots, some come earlier, some 

 are larger, and some finer than others. It may 

 be sufficient to n^me the JZrussels, the More- 

 17* 



