CHAPTER XIX. 



THE APRICOT. 



It is remarkable that a fruit of such excellence as the apri- 

 cot, 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 broad leaf, and in the smooth 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 preferred, and are more 

 especially adapted to heavy soils; on light soils the hard- 

 shelled almond and the wild plum have proved excellent. 



The soil should be deep and dry. Young trees have fre- 

 quently perished from a wet sub-soil, even where the surface 

 is not unusually moist. On suitable soils, the tree is as hardy 

 as most early peaches, but its greatest drawback is that it 

 blossoms so early as to be caught by frost, and the young fruit 

 is very attractive to the curculio. The trees have been com- 

 monly, planted in the warmest situations, as on the warm side 

 of buildings, or other sheltered site, facing the hot sun, where 

 they have blossomed early, and, as a consequence, the crop 

 has not unfrequently been destroyed by vernal frosts. Hence, 

 a northern or more exposed aspect would be far preferable. 

 If trained on a building, the eastern side should be especially 

 avoided, as a hot morning sun upon frosted buds would be 

 nearly certain destruction. 



The liability to the attacks of the curculio, and the very 

 common destruction of the whole crop by this insect, have con- 

 tributed to the general conclusion that the apricot is not suited 

 to our northern climate. Several cultivators, as far north as 

 forty-three degrees of latitude, by a systematic destruction of 



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