THE APRICOT. 



521 



Mr Thompson, says, opposite the Moorpark (in 

 " Hort. Soc. Fruit Cat.," p. 48) : " Like the 

 Abricot peche, from which, if it at all, it scarcely 

 differs;" and in remarks opposite the Peche, p. 

 49, he says: rt In all probability there would be 

 no error in identifying this with the Moorparh." 

 We need quote no further evidence in support 

 of our own opinion that they are identically the 

 same. Synonyms of both — A nsons, Dunmore's, 

 Dunmore's Breda, 'Temple's, Hunt's Moorparh, 

 Oldacre's Moorpark, Sudlow's Moorparh, Walton 

 Moorparh, De Nancy, Anson's imperial, Peach, 

 Peach royal, Wurtemberg, De Tours, PSche grosse, 

 T>e Luxembourg. Abricot peche of the French. 



Musch-Musch. — Fruit small, only about \\ 

 inches in diameter; form round; colour orange 

 red; flesh yellow, tender, and rich; kernel sweet; 

 stone impervious; fruit smaller, otherwise some- 

 what resembling the Breda, and appreciated, not- 

 withstanding its small size, for the richness of its 

 flavour. It appears to be a native of Asia, and 

 takes its name from the city of Musch on the 

 frontiers of Turkey. It is much grown in 

 Egypt, particularly about Alexandria, and also 

 in Upper Egypt, where the fruit is dried as an 

 article of commerce. It is by no means a hardy 

 tree, and therefore requires to be placed in dry 

 warm situations. It seems to prosper healthily 

 at Dalkeith, but has not as yet produced fruit 

 with us. Synonym — D'Alexandrie. 



Orange. — Flowers large ; fruit of medium 

 size ; form spherical ; colour orange, slightly 

 marked with a ruddy tinge where exposed to 

 the sun; flesh moderately juicy, and darkish 

 orange, adhering to the stone; kernel sweet; 

 stone roundish, small, and impervious. Tree 

 rather hardy ; a good bearer. Only fit for pre- 

 serving. Synonyms — Royal orange, Royal 

 George, Royal Persian, Early orange, Royal 

 orange. Has been long in our gardens, being 

 mentioned by London and Wise, who wrote in 

 the time of Queen Anne. 



Roman. — Flowers large ; fruit medium-sized ; 

 form oblong compressed ; colour pale yellow ; 

 suture indistinct ; kernel very bitter ; stone 

 oblong, impervious ; flavour indifferent, unless 

 ripened a day or two in the house, and even 

 then only fit for preserving. Tree hardy, per- 

 haps the most so excepting the Masculine, 

 therefore adapted for cold localities, where the 

 finer sorts will not succeed. The blossoms also 

 withstand the spring frosts better than most. 

 Synonyms — Transparent (a very ridiculous 

 name), Abricot commun, Grosse Gemeine, Ge- 

 meine, Brussels of some, Turkey of some, Algiers. 



Royal. — Flowers large ; fruit large ; form 

 spherical- ovate; colour dullish yellow, faintly 

 tinged with red; stone pervious; kernel bitter ; 

 flesh pale orange ; flavour rich and vinous ; 

 ripens rather before the Moorparh, and ap- 

 proaches it nearly in size. The leaves are larger 

 than in that sort, therefore the wood requires to 

 be laid thinner in to the wall or espalier. Of 

 French origin, having been raised some years 

 ago in the royal Luxembourg gardens. 



Turkey. — Flowers large; fruit medium size; 

 form spherical, not at all compressed; colour 

 deep yellow in the shade, brownish orange, 

 slightly mottled where exposed to the sun; 



kernel sweet, nearly as much so as the almond. 

 This peculiarly, as well its form and colour, 

 identifies it as different from the Roman. The 

 latest ripening sort we have; stone impervious. 

 Synonyms — De Nancy of some, Large Turkey. 



SELECTIONS OF APRICOTS FOR PARTICULAR 

 LOCALITIES. 



For a small garden in a favourable climate. — 

 Large early, Breda, Moorpark. 



For a small garden in a cold climate. — Red 

 masculine, Breda, Roman. 



Grown at Dalkeith Palace. — Breda, Moorpark, 

 Large early, Hemskirk, Musch-Musch, Royal, 

 Turkey, Orange, Kaisha (the latter not yet 

 fruited). 



From sixteen returns received from gardeners in 

 Scotland we find only the Red masculine, Moor- 

 park, Breda, and Orange cultivated. 



From ten returns from gardeners in England 

 loe find the Moorpark, Breda, Turkey, Musch- 

 Musch, Orange, Masculine, Large early, Hems- 

 kirk, and Roman, in general grown. And upon 

 an average we find the Moorpark and Roman 

 the most generally cultivated. 



Mr G. Lindley gives the following as a selec- 

 tion for a small garden in the southern and 

 midland counties of England : Breda, Brussels, 

 which he considers distinct; Hemskirk, Large 

 early, Moorpark, Peach apricot (which is the 

 same), Red masculine, Roman, and Turkey. 



For the northern counties of England and 

 southern of Scotland. — Brussels, Hemskirk, Large 

 early, Moorpark, Orange, Roman, and Royal. 



For the Highlands of Scotland. — Breda, and 

 Red masculine. 



The principal addition to the Apricot of late 

 years is — 



The new red-fleshed late Frogmore, a variety that 

 promises well on account of its lateness, pro- 

 longing the season of this fine fruit to a greater 

 length than formerly. Well adapted to be 

 grown in an orchard-house or in a late plum and 

 apricot house, in the manner of standards, along 

 with Jersey seedling and Tardive d'Orleans. 



Jersey seedling. — A very late variety, but 

 rather of small size, raised at Petit Menage by 

 James Robin, Esq. Esteemed chiefly for its 

 late ripening. 



The following new varieties of the Moorpark 

 race are recommended by Mr Rivers as possess- 

 ing sufficient merits to insure them a space in 

 most gardens. " They seem more hardy than 

 that sort ; their branches do not die off sud- 

 denly, as is so often the case with trees of that 

 favourite variety, and yet their fruit is as large, 

 or larger, and of equal excellence : " — 



Alsace, Large red, or Gros rouge. — "Tree 

 hardier than the Moorpark; skin and flesh of 

 fruit deep orange red; an excellent variety." — 

 St Ambroise. A highly-esteemed variety from 

 France. 



Tardive d'Orleans. — Stated to ripen two or 

 three weeks after the Moorpark. 



Precoce d'Esperen. — Fruit melting; medium 

 size; ripens the middle of July; " a -variety,' 

 say Knight and Perry, " of first-rate excellence." 



The following selection is given by Mr Rivers 

 of Apricots adapted for pot -culture in the 



