244 



NEW ENGL.iND FARIVIER. 



May 



THE APKICOT. 



It is remarkable, says Mr. Thomas, in his 

 excellent work on fruit culture, that a fruit of 

 such excellence as the Apricot, and ripening 

 from one to two months before the best early 

 peaches, should be so little known. In its 

 natural character, it is more nearly allied to 

 the plum than the peach, resembling the for- 

 mer in its broad leaf, and in the smooth stone 

 of its fruit ; but downy, like the peach, and 

 partaking largely of its flavor and excellence. 

 It is budded on seedling apricots, and on peach 

 and plum stocks. The trees have generally 



been planted in the warmest situations, sucl 

 as the east or south side of buildings, facing 

 the hot sun, where they have blossomed early, 

 and been liable to be destroyed by spring frosts. 

 If trained on a building, such an exposure 

 should be especially avoided ; a northern or 

 western aspect is far preferable. 



The above engraving was made from a clus- 

 ter of the most beautiful apricots we ever saw, 

 that were left at our office by Mr. J. Q. A. 

 Wild, of Qiiincy, Mass. The tree on which 

 they grew was trained on a trellis on the west 



