68 Report upon the Varieties of Apricot, 



respect these differ is not stated, neither has the minutest examina- 

 tion and comparison effected any discovery of a distinct or perma- 

 nent difference. The result of my enquiries has been that a gene- 

 ral character in its habit and leaves could be traced through consi- 

 derable variations, arising from the state of the trees, which are very 

 subject to be affected by soil, season, and exposure. It may be also 

 observed that Duhamel in treating of this very sort, describes the 

 leaves as varying in their serratures, being in some sharp and very 

 profound, and in others obtuse and shallow. Better authority 

 than that of this author cannot be produced in corroboration of 

 the preceding statement, which admits that differences may be 

 observed which are still not permanent. In the Transactions, 

 Vol. I. App. p. 8. it is stated that the Abricot Peche is raised ge- 

 nerally, if not always from the stone in France, and that it is dif- 

 ferent from the Moorpark. In a note, however, relating to the 

 same passage it is asserted that our Moorpark Apricot is the Abri- 

 cot Peche. In the Second Volume of the Transactions, p. 201, 

 Mr. Knight refers to the Moorpark, or Nancy Apricot, as being 

 the same. 



Objections may still be made to some of the synonymes of this 

 sort, on the ground that they may be seedlings and therefore must 

 be different. It must be allowed that seedlings of fruit trees, are 

 for the most part different from the original. But if it should 

 happen that a seedling Moorpark or Abricot Peche, could not be 

 distinguished in any one respect from the original, there would be 

 no more necessity for its being called by a different name than there 

 would be for altering the name of an Annual, because it was a 

 seedling from the one originally discovered, supposing at the same 

 time it had not sported into a distinct variety. 



Trees of the Abricot Peche from the best authorities in France 

 have been fruited in the Society's Garden, along with the Moor- 

 park. They prove so much alike that there is the strongest pre- 



