THE APRICOT 93 



has succeeded on heavy soils, and, therefore, consider the 

 peach the best stock. The greatest obstacle to be over- 

 come is the brown fruit rot or monilia that is so destruc- 

 tive to the early varieties of peaches and most of the 

 European and Japanese plums. 



To overcome this pest the trees should be heavily 

 sprayed in March or early April with the standard bor- 

 deaux — six pounds copper sulphate, six pounds lime and 

 fifty gallons water — and then again with the same just 

 before the blossoms open. After the petals have fallen 

 spraying with diluted bordeaux (1: 1: 50) at intervals 

 of from two to four weeks, should be kept up until 

 the fruit is nearly full growm. If the fruit begins to 

 rot as it approaches ripening, spraying just after every 

 rain with a solution of copper sulphate, four ounces to 

 fifty gallons, will check it. Thinning the fruit as is done 

 in growing peaches and plums, must be practiced, to 

 help prevent this rotting, strengthen the growth of the 

 tree and improve the size and quality of the fruit. 



Sometimes the trees are winterkilled, but when 

 planted in light soil, as previously mentioned, and an 

 abundance of potash and phosphoric acid used, with only 

 enough nitrogenous matter to make a moderate growth, 

 they will make a hard, short-jointed growth that will 

 be seldom injured by the most severe winter weather, 

 and will live as long as peach trees. The pruning re- 

 quired is practically the same that is given the peach 

 by the most successful growers of that fruit. Head in 

 the most rampant shoots so as to encourage a close, 

 short-jointed growth. 



The number of varieties that are satisfactory in the 

 East is very small, yet even many of those of poor qual- 

 ity are valuable for canning purposes because of the 

 peculiar flavor and of the ease with which the stone or 

 pit separates from the flesh. Among the best in quality 

 aud the most hardy are Early Montgamet, Moorpark 



