JAPAN 



MONTGAMET 



133 



bearer; unfortunately it does not hold the crop 

 well. The fruit, also, resembles that of Moor- 

 park, but ripens evenly on both sides, as Moor- 

 park often does not. The variety is widely 

 grown in California under the name Hemskirke. 

 It is an old English sort. 



Tree large, spreading, very hardy and healthy, regular 

 and productive bearer. Flowers large, nearly pure white. 

 Fruits midseason ; large, nearly 2 inches in diameter, 

 round or round-oblate, sides compressed, bulged on one 

 side of suture near the apex ; suture distinct ; apex 

 mucronate ; color orange with brown spots, blushed 

 toward the sun ; skin thick, adhering ; flesh golden- 

 orange, tender, juicy, rich ; very good in quality ; stone 

 oval, small, free ; with a pervious channel ; kernel bitter. 



JAPAN. Under this name the Japanese 

 apricot, Prunus Mume, is offered by several 

 southern nurserymen. One of these catalog 

 descriptions runs as follows: 



"This is the earliest, largest, and best apricot in 

 cultivation, and the only apricot that is a success 

 here in central Louisiana ; fruit clear bright yellow, 

 fine flavor ; tree a straggling grower and an abundant 

 bearer. It was imported by ex-Governor Hubbard, of 

 Texas, while minister at Japan." 



KAISHA. This interesting sort with red 

 flesh was introduced from Syria in 1842 into 

 England, where it has been grown more or 

 less since. Toward the close of the century 

 it was imported to America, and is to be found 

 sparingly in eastern plantations. Apricot- 

 growers in California have either not tried 

 Kaisha, or else discarded it as unworthy 

 probably the latter. The tree is somewhat 

 unsatisfactory, being tender to cold, blooming 

 early, and bearing lightly and unevenly. As 

 grown at Geneva, New York, the fruit is de- 

 scribed as follows: 



LARGE EARLY. Fig. 108. This is an 

 especially valuable variety because of the 

 earliness, large size, attractive appearance, and 



108. Large Early. (X%) 



high quality of its fruits. The variety is a 

 favorite in nearly all apricot-growing regions. 

 A fault is that the tree is sometimes an un- 

 certain bearer. Large Early is an old French 

 variety. 



Tree vigorous, spreading, hardy, productive but some- 

 times uncertain in bearing. Leaf large, broader than 



long ; margin coarsely serrate ; petiole % inch long, 

 with 1 to several globose glands. Flowers white, often 

 with 6 petals. Fruit very early ; nearly 2 inches in 

 diameter, oblong-oval, compressed, often oblique ; suture 

 well marked ; apex terminating in a sharp point ; color 

 light orange, darker orange next to the sun with some 

 red ; fine obscure pubescence ; flesh orange, firm, juicy, 

 sweet, rich ; very good to best ; stone free, oval, flat 

 with sharp point; kernel bitter. 



LARGE EARLY MONTGAMET. This 



is probably a European sort renamed. It is 

 offered for sale by California nurserymen, and 

 is to be found occasionally in eastern America. 

 As grown at Geneva, New York, the fruit is 

 described as follows: 



Fruit early ; large, 2 inches or more in diameter, 

 round-oval, sides compressed, irregular, ribbed, truncate ; 

 cavity large and deep ; suture distinct, dividing a promi- 

 nent swollen ridge ; color rich yellow or orange, mottled 

 or blushed with red ; flesh deep yellow, juicy, firm, 

 sweet, rich ; quality very good ; stone large, free, nearly 

 as broad as long, thick, rough, very dark in color ; 

 kernel sweet. 



LATE ENGLEHARDT. This apricot, 

 grown only in California, is described by 

 Wickson as follows: 



"Chance seedling originated at La Crescenta. Propa- 

 gated and introduced by W. B. Thome of Tropico. 

 Large as Moorpark, ripening evenly and twenty-eight 

 days later than Royal. Claimed to be a very late 

 bloomer, and thus escaping frosts which caught all other 

 varieties at similar elevations. Planted chiefly in Los 

 Angeles County." 



109. Luizet. 



LUIZET. Fig. 109. Luizet is an old French 

 sort little grown in America, but offered 

 by several American nurserymen. Wickson 

 says it is approved in the upper San Joaquin 

 Valley, California. The fruit is a fine, early 

 apricot at Geneva, New York, as the following 

 description shows: 



Fruit early ; very large, round-ovate, sides a little 

 compressed toward the apex ; suture prominent, dividing 

 a swollen ridge ; halves of the fruit unequal ; cavity 

 broad, deep ; color a deep rich yellow with a crimson 

 blush and dots of crimson ; flesh deep yellow, firm, juicy, 

 aromatic, sweet, rich ; very good in quality ; stone large, 

 round-ovate, free, rough, variable in thickness ; kernel 

 bitter. 



MONTGAMET. Alberge de Montgamet. 

 This is an old French sort which seems not to 

 be known in eastern America. Wickson says 

 it is grown in the Vacaville district of Cali- 

 fornia. Hogg, the English pomologist, de- 

 scribes it as follows: 



"Fruit of small size, oval, somewhat compressed on 

 the sides, and marked with a shallow suture ; skin pale 

 yellow, with a slight tinge of red on the side next to 

 the sun ; flesh yellowish, firm, adhering to the stone, 



