PLANTING THE APRICOT 247 



few growers, however, approve the almond and use it with 

 the idea that it gives larger fruit. It has been claimed that the 

 Royal apricot will take well on the almond seedling by root graft- 

 ing, instead of budding, using the side graft. Cut off the top of the 

 stock about four to six inches above ground, scrape away the dirt, 

 bend the stock, and, with a sharp, thin knife, cut into the root to 

 the center, making the cut perpendicular, so that the graft will 

 be that way when inserted. The scion should be made w r edge- 

 shaped. After insertion, draw the loose earth around it, and the 

 work is done until the graft has made a growth of eighteen to 

 twenty-four inches. This is given as a record of experience, but 

 still caution is urged against the use of the almond as stock for 

 the apricot. 



The apricot may also be made to hold on the almond by double 

 working, growing first as a shoot from a peach or plum bud and 

 then working an apricot bud higher up on in the new shoot. 



In addition to the specifications of certain stocks for different 

 soils, it may be remarked, in a general way, that the apricot seems 

 to thrive better on a tolearbly heavy soil, with enough sand to 

 make it work easily, than on a very light soil. It does well on soil 

 rather too heavy for the peach. It also enjoys moisture better 

 and gives signs of distress unless its roots are fairly supplied all 

 during the season, but it dislikes standing water and should not be 

 planted on undrained situations. 



PLANTING THE APRICOT 



The apricot becomes a large tree in California, as has already 

 been remarked, and it should be given plenty of room. Twenty- 

 four feet each way is certainly a minimum distance for so large 

 and long-lived a tree, and some orchards have been planted at 

 thirty feet. If nearer planting is done it should be with reference 

 to subsequent removal of part of the trees, which, however, is very 

 seldom done. Twenty feet apart, with later removal of half the 

 trees to double the distance was proposed by II. D. Briggs, of 

 Azuza, in this w r ay : 



In setting out an orchard it seems advisable to double set the ground, as 

 an apricot twelve to fifteen years old should have not less than 800 to 900 

 square feet of ground. This can easily be obtained by setting 20x20 feet ; 

 then when nine or ten years old remove every other tree, making them forty 

 feet in the row, with rows twenty feet apart, of course, taking them out diag- 

 onally. The trees will very quickly tell the orchardist when they are too thick. 

 When the outside rows have twice the fruit of those inside, it is quite evident 

 that the time spent in pruning, etc., on half of the trees is worse than wasted. 

 I have cut roots 40 feet from a nine-year-old tre'e. 



The apricot makes such rapid growth and so much depends 

 upon giving it proper form, as will be seen presently, that one 

 year's growth is all that should be allowed in the nursery. Some 



