596 



THE APRICOT. 



SuBSECT. IV. — The Apricot. 



1315. The ^/)Wco^, Armeniaca vulgaris, Zam. (Abricotier, jFV. / Apriko- 

 senbaum, Ger.; Abrikoos, Dutch; Alhicocco^ Ital. ; and Albarico-gueira, 

 Span. ; Arh. Brit. vol. ii. p. 682 ; and Encyc. of Trees and Shrubs, p. 267), 

 is a low deciduous tree, a native of Caucasus, very extensively distributed 

 through the countries of the East, and cultivated in European gardens 

 from the time of the Romans. In British gardens the apricot is the earliest 

 wall-fruit, flowering with the sloe in March, ripening about the end of July, 

 and supplying the dessert till the middle of September. Its uses are the 

 same as the peach ; in addition to which it makes excellent marmalades, 

 jellies and preserves, and tarts even when gathered green, and of the 

 smallest size. In the Oases of Upper Egypt the fruit of a particular variety 

 called the Musch-Musch, is produced in great quantities and dried, so as to 

 form an article of commerce. 



1816. — Varieties. These are much less numerous than those of the peach. 

 The following selection is by Mr. Thompson. 



Large early, syn. Abricot gros precoce. Large, somewhat oblong, com- 

 pressed, bright orange red next the sun, elsewhere pale orange ; flesh juicy 

 and rich ; ripens about the middle of July. The earliest large sort of 

 apricot. 



Royal. liarge, roundish oval, resembling the Moorpark in appearance and 

 equalling it in richness of flavour, but diff^ers in ripening about ten days 

 earlier, and having no pervious channel along the edge from the base to the 

 apex of the stone ; ripens about the end of July or beginning of August; 

 a valuable sort. 



Moorpark, syn. Abricot peche, &c. Large, roundish, brownish-orange, 

 intermixed with ferruginous specks ; flesh very rich and juicy ; stone pecu- 

 liarly perforated, so that a pin may be introduced from the base to the apex ; 

 ripens in the beginning or middle of August. 



Breda, syn. Abricot de HoUande, &c. Rather small, roundish, or ob- 

 tusely four-sided, deep brownish orange ; flesh deep orange, juicy, rich, and 

 high-flavoured. Ripens from the beginning to the middle of August, on 

 walls, and as the tree will succeed as a standard the fruit may be obtained 

 at a much later period of the season ; the fruit from standards will, of course, 

 be smaller, but it will be richer, and it is excellent for preserving. As 

 the tree generally bears over-abundantly in the open ground, when the 

 season is favourable for the fruit setting, it requires and deserves a little 

 shortening and thinning of the shoots as a winter pruning. 



1317. — Apricots for walls of different aspects. See p. .422. 



Turkey, syn. Large Turkey. Large, roundish, deep yellow, with brown- 

 ish orange-red spots ; flesh pale yellow, juicy, and rich ; ripens in end of 

 August or beginning of September. 



1318. Apricots for the walls of a Cottage. The best is the Moorpark, 

 which in Lincolnshire, and other parts of England, bears well on the gable 

 ends, and ripens early in consequence of the heat communicated to the wall 

 by the flue. The fruit is thinned, and the thinnings are sent to market for 

 tarts, and afterwards the ripe fruit, the whole producing twenty shillings or 

 upwards. Next to the Moorpark the Breda may be taken as the hardiest, 

 and the red Masculine as the earliest. 



1319. — Propagation, nursery culture, &^c. For dwarfs, the apricot is gene- 



