APRICOTS. 177 



The tree is a free grower in its early stages, producing long and 

 strong shoots, and acquiring a luxuriance which is not conducive to 

 the production of fruit. To counteract this should bp the chief aim of 

 the cultivator. The way to do this is to root-prune the tree about the 

 beginning of August, by removing a portion of the soil and cutting 

 away some of the strongest of the roots. This will check the too 

 abundant supply of sap, diminish the excessive production of wood, 

 regulate the development of the tree, and consequently tend to a pro- 

 duction of fruit. A south-east aspect is the best on which to grow the 

 Moorpark. If grown on a south wall it ripens unequally, the side next 

 the sun being quite ripe when the other is hard. 



There is a disease to which the Moorpark is liable, and which is 

 sometimes attended with very serious consequences. It shows itself 

 first in the leaves, which all of a sudden flag and wither away, and the 

 branch which bears them dies. Frequently a whole limb, or the whole 

 of one side of a tree, will exhibit this appearance in the space of a few 

 hours. This effect arises, not as some say from the stock on which it 

 is worked, or the soil in which it is planted, for it is met with on 

 every description of stock and in all kinds of soil. It is not the 

 result of a languid circulation, for trees in the full vigour of 

 growth are as subject to it as those which are aged and going 

 to decay; but it is because of the naturally delicate constitution 

 of this variety, which cannot withstand uninjured this variable 

 climate of ours. It is caused from injuries received by frost either in 

 spring or early summer, or in winter after a wet autumn when the 

 wood ias not been properly ripened. The frost lacerates the sap 

 vessels of the external layers of the wood, and the circulation is limited 

 to the inner layers. When vegetation commences, and after the leaves 

 are fully developed on the injured branch, the demand on the powers 

 of the branch for a supply of sap to the leaves fails, and when the sun 

 becomes powerful and evaporation increases the supply becomes pro- 

 portionately less, and for want of nourishment the leaves flag and the 

 branch withers and dies. 



I doubt very much if there is any material difference between the 

 Moorpark and the Peach Apricot. As the Peach Apricot reproduces 

 itself from the stone many seedlings have been raised from it, to which 

 the raisers have given names ; , but these so qlosely resemble the 

 original in every particular, that they are not worthy of being looked 

 upon as distinct. I believe the Moorpark is one of these ; it resembles 

 the Peach Apricot so closely as not to be distinguishable from it ; and 

 the only characteristic to show that they are not identical is, that the 

 Moorpark will grow on the common plum stock, which the peach will 

 not. 



The Moorpark Apricot is said by some to have been introduced by Lord Ansoji 

 from the Continent, and planted at Moorpark, near Watford, In Hertfordshire. By 

 others its introduction is ascribed to Sir Thomas More, who, in the beginning of 

 )ast century, is also said to have planted it at Moorpark ; and a third account is 

 that Sir William temple introduced it. But by whomsoever it was raised or 



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