0034 



way that almonds are: they are crushed together with the pits in a liqueur. After a long 

 infusion, one gets a ratafia or an eau-de-noyau. 



CULTIVATION. Several varieties of apricot are cultivated, but the Nancy apricot 

 and the clingstone are preferred; their flesh is juicy, fragrant, and very tasty. A few years 

 ago a new apricot, called royal apricot by M. Hervy, was obtained by the nurseries of the 

 Luxembourg garden. It's as good or better than the two preceding varieties. 



Apricot trees like warmth, so in the north of France they should be planted facing 

 south. Their fruit will improve to the extent that the tree gets sunshine, whether left in the 

 open or grown next to a wall. 



The apricot tree is propagated by planting the pits in the ground as soon as they 

 separate from the pulp. It can also be grafted on a plum tree. Since the tree blooms early, 

 one must take care in the north of France to protect its flowers from early frost by 

 keeping it covered with straw matting from six in the evening until nine in the morning. 



KEY TO PLATE. 



1. Flowering branch. 2. Branch with leaves and fruit. 3. Open calyx, stamens and 

 pistil. 4. Pit. 5. Kernel. [Note: The original numbering in the key to this plate has been 

 corrected by the translator.] 



