346 APRICOTS. 



to produce fruit at a much shorter period of time than they 

 would do if worked on the free stock, and are intended for 

 the garden only. Their use is to produce a great variety of 

 fruit on a small compass of ground. The espalier training 

 is calculated, not only to take up little room, but, by their 

 mode of growing, not to shade the ground so as to prevent 

 the growth of vegetables in the other parts of the garden. 

 Espaliers are formed on borders, each side of the princi- 

 pal walks, running through the garden ; these borders are 

 about seven feet wide, a row of posts are sunk in the centre 

 of the border at about six feet apart, set by a line all thiough 

 the border, the tops sawed off even by line. Strips of lath 

 are nailed to the posts, which may be about a foot apart, 

 making seven or eight strips, and forming a trellis, to which 

 the branches are tied, spread out horizontally, and forming 

 a fan-hke appearance. By good management they make a 

 beautiful appearance, and may be kept covered with fruit 

 with proper cultivation. Such kinds of fruit as are of a 

 more tender and delicate nature may be perfected in this 

 way, which often would not bear on the ordinary standard, 

 where they could not have the same protection. 



CHAPTER II. 



CULTIVATION OF APRICOTS. 



Propagation. 



The Apricot is budded principally upon two sorts of 

 stocks : the Muscle and the Common Plum. The 5reda, 

 Orange, Peach Apricot, Purple, and Royal, are those ge- 

 nerally budded upon the Muscle ; and although the Moor- 

 park is for the most part budded upon the common Plum, 

 on which it takes freely, yet I am persuaded that if it were 

 budded upon the Muscle, the trees would be better, last 

 longer in a state of health and vigour, and produce their fruit 

 superior both in size and quality. 



