FRUITS*. CHAP. 



With regard to apples and fruit of about the same value, 

 the consequence is not very great 5 but, in the case of 

 wall-fruit, you want a crop every year ; and, therefore, 

 you must take away one year that which would prevent 

 bearing the next. Cherries may, perhaps, be an excep- 

 tion here ; because they take care to make the super- 

 abundant fruit drop off at a very early age j but, then, 

 there is another consideration with regard to which even 

 cherries form no exception ; and that is, that, if the fruit 

 be too numerous, it is smaller than it ought to be. 

 Perhaps in hardly any case, the greater number produces 

 any thing like a proportionate weight to the smaller 

 number : and, as to the quality, the superiority of the 

 small number is great indeed. The apricot should not 

 be gathered until it be almost ready to fall from the 

 tree ; and, if the sort be good, it is preferred by many 

 persons to the peach. As to sorts, the following are 

 those mentioned by Mr. AITON in the Hortus Kewensis : 

 the Black, the Brussels, the Masculine, the Moor Park, and 

 the Royal Orange. For my part, I recommend the Moor 

 Park, and the Turkey. The former is fine, and a good 

 bearer : the latter not a good bearer, but superlatively 

 tine. Mr. MARSHALL recommends the Breda, to ripen in 

 September. The Masculine, the Brussels, and the Black, 

 are cultivated only because they come early : they are in 

 my opinion very poor fruit : they might be planted as-' 

 espaliers in very warm situations ; but are certainly un- 

 worthy of a good wall. Besides the use of apricots as 

 fruit from the tree, they make the most delicious of all 

 preserves j and, while, in the season of their ripeness, 

 mixing them with apples in pies and tarts, make a great 

 improvement in the article. The apricot is, on all ac- 



