60 



Report upon the Varieties of Apricot, 



the Masculine in this country, and from the close affinity of the 

 two sorts they had become distinguished by the names of the Red 

 and the White Masculine. There is no other described by the 

 French Authors to which the latter could be referred, except the 

 Abricot Blanc. Duhamel describes that sort as being a variety 

 of the Abricot Precoce, or our Red Masculine ; of a pale waxy 

 white, the skin more downy than that of other Apricots; with 

 somewhat of a Peach flavour ; hence the synonyme of Abricot-Peche. 

 This synonyme is now however transferred to the Abricot de Nancy, 

 or our Moor park. 



3. Large Early Apricot. 

 Syn. Large early. Hort. Soc. Cat. No. 47. Pom. Mag. 3. 

 t. 142. 



Abricot gros precoce. Audibert, Cat. 

 Abricot de St. Jean. ib. 



Abricot de St. Jean Rouge, in Languedoc. ib. 

 Abricot gros d'Alexandrie, in Provence. ib. 

 Die grosse Friihe Aprikose. SicMer, Teutsche Obstg. 12. 

 p. 139, t. 12. 



Leaves large, broad, oval, rather sharply serrated, tapering more to the petiole than 

 perhaps any other, and frequently auricled. Fruit large, somewhat oblong, compressed ; 

 projecting considerably on the side of the suture, which is deep, and terminates in a pro- 

 jecting point situated towards the back, beyond the axis of the fruit ; the back is nearly 

 straight. Skin downy, of a fine bright orange red next the sun, with spots of deeper 

 red ; pale orange on the other side. Flesh parting from the stone, orange coloured, 

 juicy, rich. Stone brown, much flattened, oval, sharp on the front, channelled along 

 the back, from the base to the apex. Kernel bitter. 



It would appear that this sort has obtained considerable extent 

 of cultivation on the continent, but it is only of late introduction 

 to this country. It might be deemed worthy of attention, even 

 if its time of ripening were in the general season of Apricots. But, 

 as it comes in at a time when no others are to be had, except the 

 early Masculines, either of which it far surpasses in merit, its value 

 on that account will be apparent. It is probable from its being 



