178 THE FEUIT MANUAL. 



introduced, or at what period, it is quite certain it was very little known till late 

 in the century. Neither Hitt nor Miller notices it in any of the editions of their 

 works. I do not find it mentioned in any of the Brompton Park catalogues before 

 1784, when it is called Temple Apricot. In 1788 it is first called Moorpark. In 

 1784 it was cultirated to the extent of three rows, or 300 plants ; but in 1797 the 

 quantity was increased to thirty-five rows, or 3,500 plants. 



MUSCH MUSCH (d'Alexandrie). — Fruit, small, almost round, and 

 slightly compressed, marked with a deep suture on one side. Skin, 

 deep orange, tinged with red on the side exposed to the sun, and pale 

 yellow where shaded. Flesh, orange, very tender and delicate, juicy, 

 rich, sweet, and perfumed, and so translucent as to show the appear- 

 ance of the stone through it, and from which it separates freely. 

 Stone, roundish and flattened, with a sharp ridge on the side. 

 Kernel, sweet. 



This is a very sweet apricot ; ripe in the end of July. The tree is 

 a free grower, but delicate on account of its early vegetation, which ex- 

 poses it to the effects of spring frosts. It is distinguished from every 

 other variety by its greenish fawn-coloured shoots and its small pointed 

 leaves. It requires a warm, sheltered situation. 



This variety is said by some to take its name from Musch, a town on the 

 frontiers of Turkey j but Kegnier, in the Magazin Encyclop4dique for November, 

 1815, says when he was in Egypt he saw small dried apricots, which were brought 

 by the inhabitants from the Oasis, which were called Mich-mich. These were in 

 all probability the variety now called Musch Musch. It was known to Duhamel, 

 but is not described by him, as its cultivation was unsuccessful in the neighbour- 

 hood of Paris, on account of its early blooming and suffering from the spring frosts. 



Musque Hatif. See Red Masculine. 

 De Nancy. See Peach. 



NEW LARGE EARLY.— Fruit, larger than Breda, about the size 

 of Royal Apricot, oval. Skin, white, like Sardinian. Flesh, very rich, 

 and with a sweet, honied juice. 



This is the earliest of all apricots, and ripens in an orchard house 

 about the 20th of June. 



It was raised from Angoumois by Mr. Rivers, of Sawbridgeworth, and first 

 fruited in 1873. 



Noir. See Black. 



Noisette. See Breda, 



Oldaker's Moorpark. See Moorpark. 



ORANGE {Early Orange ; Persian ; Royal Persian ; Eoyal George ; 

 Royal Orange). — Fruit, above medium size, roundish, one side swelling 

 more than the other. Skin, pale orange in the shade ; deep orange, 

 tinged with red, next the sun. Suture, well defined, deep towards the 

 stalk. Flesh, deep orange, firm, and adhering to the stone, which is 

 small, smooth, thick, and impervious. Kernel, sweet. 



Ripe in the middle of August. 



