288 Influence of the Plum-Stock on the Apricot. 



that the tree is rendered more governable, and therefore 

 more productive, when trained to a wall. Taking off a 

 circular ring of bark, or what is called ringing the stock, 

 gives a similar increase of size to the fruit, and of brilliancy 

 to its colour ; but its pulp is rendered much less succulent 

 and melting ; and I suspect that the effects of a Quince stock, 

 and of ringing, will be found very nearly similar, each ope- 

 rating to interrupt the free and proper course of the sap. 

 Some varieties of Pears are known to be spoiled by the 

 Quince stock ; and I entertain little doubt, but that the qua- 

 lity of every species of fruit, to some extent, suffers when 

 grown upon a stock of another species or genus. 



I have been led to these conclusions by the following 

 circumstances, which have within the last two years come 

 under my observation. I have stated, in a former communi- 

 cation,* that the Moorpark Apricot succeeds much better 

 upon its native stock, than upon a Plum-stock. I had ob- 

 served that its foliage acquired a deeper shade of colour, 

 and that it retained its verdure very considerably later in the 

 autumn ; and its fruit appeared to me to be singularly ex- 

 cellent. I had not, however, at that period, an Apricot tree 

 growing upon a Plum-stock, upon quite the same aspect, 

 and I therefore hesitated to ascribe the superiority of the fruit 

 to any operation of the native stock. But I have subsequently 

 planted two trees, growing upon Plum-stocks, and two 

 upon Apricot-stocks, upon the same aspects, and in a similar 

 soil, giving those upon the Plum-stocks the advantage of 

 some superiority in age, and I have found the produce of 

 the Apricot-stocks to be in every respect greatly the best. 



* See Horticultural Transactions, Vol. ii. p. 20. 



