200 



THE GAKDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



do it than the winter, as the wounds heal so 

 much quicker while there are yet leaves on the 

 trees. Keep the ventilators and doors wide 

 open, and above all things see that the border 

 never feels the want of water. A dry border 

 in the winter will cause the trees to shed their 

 buds in precisely the same manner that forced 

 Peach-trees do. When the trees are quite dor- 

 mant give them a thorough cleansing with an 

 insecticide, wash the woodwork and glass, and 

 whitewash the brickwork, so that all will be 

 clean and in readiness for starting -time in 

 spring. 



Insects, &c. (see chapter on this subject). 

 Bark Enemies. — Woeberian Tortrix. Fruit and 

 Seed Enemies. — Ants, Wasps. Leaf Enemies. — 

 Red-legged Garden Weevil, Red Spider. 



Propagation. — The Apricot is propagated by 

 seeds, by budding, and occasionally by grafting. 



The mode by seeds is adopted with the view 

 of obtaining new varieties; there are, however, 

 some sorts which reproduce themselves with 

 considerable exactitude from the stone, and are 

 accordingly propagated in that way. Moor 

 Park is one of these; and although the original 

 variety should not be lost sight of, it is certain 

 that very good seedlings might be raised from 

 it in abundance. This variety and several others 

 are frequently raised from seeds by the French. 

 They select the stones from the finest ripe 

 fruit, and stratify them till autumn. They 

 are then planted in rich soil, covered 2 inches 

 deep, and in case of severe frost a covering of 

 leaves or of litter is afforded. The seedlings 

 may be transplanted in the following autumn, 

 and in doing so the tap-root should be short- 

 ened. 



Budding is the general mode of propagating 

 the Apricot, the Mussel and common Plums 

 being the stocks employed. In France it is 

 budded upon the Damas Noir, Cerisette, and 

 Saint- Julien; and it may be well to observe 

 that these stocks are raised from the stones of 

 these varieties, and not from suckers or layers, 

 because the latter are comparatively weak, apt 

 to cause gumming, and prone to throw up 

 suckers. The Brussels and the Brompton 

 stocks have also been employed, but the latter 

 ought not to be used as a stock; on the 

 Brussels stock, however, Apricots may be 

 budded for standards to cover the upper parts 

 of high walls, as its shoots are tall and vigor- 

 ous, and soon form the required height of 

 stem. The Apricot may be budded as early 

 as the middle of June, but later than this is 

 preferable, so long as the buds run freely, that 



is, whilst the bark with the bud can be easily 

 detached from the alburnum. In selecting the 

 buds care should be taken not to choose blossom- 

 buds instead of wood-buds. 



Grafting is seldom resorted to, except in 

 certain cases, as where buds of any particular 

 variety have failed. Success greatly depends 

 on the proper selection of scions. These should 

 consist of portions of the base of shoots having 

 the buds very close to each other; or the lower 

 portion of the scion may consist of two-year-old 

 wood, which should, however, be well thinned 

 away in preparing the scion for whip-grafting, 

 which in this, as in most cases, is the preferable 

 mode. As active vegetation commences very 

 early in the Apricot the scions should be cut 

 off early in January, and laid in to half their 

 length in moist sandy soil, or in sand kept 

 moderately moist, but not saturated; and they 

 should be grafted as soon as the sap becomes 

 active in the stocks. The grafts ought to be 

 immediately afterwards earthed up as high as 

 the top of the clay. 



List op Varieties. 



Breda. — Fruit small, roundish, or somewhat obtusely 

 four-sided at the base, the summit slightly depressed ; 

 skin brownish -orange ; flesh orange, parting freely from 

 the stone, juicy and rich. Ripe about the beginning of 

 August on a wall; its season is considerably prolonged 

 on standards. 



Early Moor Park. — Fruit round, inclined to oval, sutured 

 on one side only; skin yellow, blotched with crimson on 

 the sunny side; flesh reddish -orange, juicy, and of luscious 

 flavour, separating from the stone. Early August, or three 

 weeks in advance of Moor Park. 



Frogmore Early (fig. 1004). — Fruit small, roundish, 

 sometimes oblate, and sutured; skin pale-yellow when 

 shaded, deep-yellow when exposed to the sun, mottled 

 with red; flesh orange, tender, juicy, richly flavoured. A 

 free -stone variety, and worthy of extended cultivation for 

 early supply. Tree hardy and a good cropper. Was raised 

 in the Royal Gardens, Frogmore. 



HernsTcerk (fig. 1005).— Fruit as large as in Moor Park, 

 roundish, with the sides flattened and sutured; skin yellow, 

 darker on the exposed side; flesh deep-yellow, tender, juicy, 

 and equal to Moor Park in flavour. Late July. Tree har- 

 dier than Moor Park, a good grower, and a heavy cropper. 



Kaisha. — Fruit medium, roundish, ovate, slightly de- 

 pressed on the summit; skin slightly downy, pale-citron 

 coloured, orange tinged and marbled with red next the 

 sun ; flesh citron coloured, somewhat transparent, parting 

 freely from the stone, tender, juicy, sugary, and delicious. 

 Ripens early. From Aleppo, where it is stated there 

 exist thirteen varieties with sweet kernels. 



Large Early (fig. 1006). — Fruit large, somewhat oblong, 

 flattened on the sides; skin pale-orange, bright with red- 

 dish-russet spots next the sun; flesh orange, juicy, and rich. 

 Valuable on account of its earliness. 



Large Red. — A variety of the Peach Apricot, resembling 

 Large Early in shape and size, but having a much deeper 

 coloured skin, which is most handsome when the fruits 



