CHAPTER V. 



THE APRICOT. 



IT is remarkable 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 

 former in its leaf and in the stone of its fruit ; but 

 downy like the peach, and partaking largely of its 

 flavor and excellence. 



The apricot is budded on seedling apricots, and 

 on peach and plum stocks. Plum stocks are pre- 

 ferred ; but their superiority is not so great as is 

 often ascribed to them. They have not always af- 

 forded protection from the peach worm ; as that 

 insect, not to be thwarted, has penetrated the bark 

 of the apricot three feet from the ground. 



The soil should be deep and dry. Young trees 

 frequently perish in winter from a wet subsoil, even 

 where the surface is dry. They are about equal 

 in hardiness to the earlier varieties of the peach. 

 They are, however, peculiarly liable to the attacks 

 of the curculio, and the usual destruction of the 

 young crop by this insect, has led to the erroneous 



