4«4 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



word, might easily have corrupted it to apricocks. Kyle of Moredun is the first who 

 writes it apricot, all the carHer writers wrote it apricocks. 



There arc many varieties of this fruit. Parkinson enumerates six sorts, Rea 

 ■even. The French and English Nursery Catalogues contain about 15, that of the 

 Horticultural Society 51, of which 27 are considered as cultivated in the Britkh 

 gardens, the remainder are cultivated on the continent. It is supposed that this 

 list will be greatly reduced, as we become better acquainted with their fruits ; at 

 present they are not sufficiently known to identify the names of the two countrie# 

 to any extent. 



1. Early Masculine, or Red Masculine. — An old variety, cultivated hcr« in 

 Charles the Second's time ; fruit small, round ; red towardu the sun, and greenish 

 yellow towards the wall, or where nmch shaded ; flesh tender, and of rather a tart 

 taste, for which it is esteemed, as well as its being the earliest apricot we have. 

 Tree rather slender, but an excellent bearer ; fruit ripens about the end of July. 



2. Orange. — Has been cultivated here before 1702. Pruit large ; deep yellow or 

 orange color, when fully ripe ; flesh dry and insipid ; better calculated for culinary 

 purposes than for the dessert. It is considered the best for preserving, as it retains 

 its color; fruit ripens about the middle of August. Tree good bearer. 



3. Black. — Introduced by Sir Joseph Banks, and cultivated in his garden at 

 Spring Grove, about 1790, from France. It is much esteemed by the French, but 

 is considered by us as very inferior to any of the other varieties cultirated. Fruit 

 small; black or dark ^•iolet ; ripens about the middle of August, which is its only 

 merit. 



4. Turkey, or Large Turkey. — Cultivated here before 1702. Fruit large, roujid ; 

 very deep yellow ; flesh firm and dry ; ripens about the middle of August. 



5. Algier, or Jf'hitc Algiers. — Cultivated here before 1702. Fruit oval, flattish 

 Ht the ends; straw colored ; flesh juicy and high flavor ; ripens from the beginning 

 to the middle of August. 



G. Breda. — Introduced from thence to this country in 1702, and originally brought 

 there from Africa. Fruit large, round ; deep yellow ; flesh soft and juicy ; is an 

 excellent fruit; ripens about the end of AugusL Tree hardy; a great bearer, and 

 well calculated for standards. 



7. Roman.— Introduced here before 1702. Fruit large, round; deep yellow; 

 flesh firm, not very juicy ; ripens about the end of August. 



8. Moor Park, Jusons, Timple's, and Dutwiore's Breda. — This has long been 

 erroneously supposed the Abricot Pcche of the French ; but that is a large tree, which 

 may be raised from the stone without grafting ; it ripens late in August ; and the 

 stone is so soft, that a pin will pierce through it, and the kernel is bitter. Intro- 

 duced by Sir Thomas More, from the Netheriands, about 1700. This is one of the 

 finest of the apricol family ; ripens about the end of August; requires a good soil to 

 bring the fruit to perfection ; is rather a shy bearer, but one fruit is worth tliree of 

 some of the other. 



9. Alberge.— The only variety that produces the same fruit as the parent from 

 seed. 



10. Portugal.— Fruit small; tree pretty good bearer ; flavor rather inferior. 



11. Pf.ach Apricot, Apricot of AWi/.— Introduced here, in 1767, from Pans, by 

 the Duke of Northumberland, and cultivated in his grace's gardens at Sion House. 

 Is the largest of all the family of apricots, and is often confused with the Moor Park. 

 These two fruits resemble each other, but the leaves and character of the trees are 

 very different; ripens about the end of Augiist. 



12. Brussels.— Introduced from Brussels, in 1702. Fruit middle-sized, oval; 

 red with dark spots next the sun, greenish yellow m the shade; flesh juicy, not 



