14 



THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 



THE APRICOT. 



As there have been of late several interesting- discussions by eminent 

 horticulturists in the Journal of Horticulture on Apricots setting their fruit 

 and ripening on walls and in orchard-houses, I take the liberty of drawing 

 further attention to the subject through the pages of the Flokist and 

 Pomologist. 



I consider if gardeners would give a public detail of any particulars they 

 have observed in their practice in the cultivation and treatment of the Apricot, 

 it might be very advantageous, and at the same time might be the means of 

 much enlightenment on the subject. I consider the Apricot will do best in a 

 soil that is rather strong and adhesive, with a dry bottom for a subsoil ; but, 

 if grown in a light soil, I believe it would do exceedingly well if the surface 

 could conveniently be flagged over with stone, as that would enable the soil to 

 retain the moisture, and at the same time encourage the roots nearer the 

 surface, where they would receive the influence of heat and air. Where flags 

 could not be conveniently obtained, a layer of clay on the surface, for a good 

 many feet in circumference around the stem, would do equally well. 



The Apricot is rather liable to drop its fruit if it lacks moisture at the root. 

 I have found it likes several good waterings of soakage when the fruit is 

 swelling. Our garden here is under the influence of the sea ah', is about a 

 quarter of a mile distant from the Firth of Forth, adjoining the German Ocean, 

 and it is about 80 feet above the sea level. 



I have never but in one instance, which I shall describe further on, lost 

 any limbs or branches from my Apricots, going off apparently like a paralytic 

 stroke, in Scotland. When I lived in Warwickshire, I have had it very 

 frequently occur, particularly with the Moorparks, although the soil there was 

 a strong clay. The trees were planted on east and west aspects. Those I 

 grow here in Scotland are all on the south wall exposure. 



I have one Apricot tree on the west aspect — a Moorpark. This scarcely 

 ever ripens a fruit fit for any, except kitchen, use. This season (1863) I have 

 not a single bloom on it. This I entirely attribute to the wood not being- 

 matured the previous autumn — a great desideratum in all fruit trees, and par- 

 ticularly Apricots and Peaches. 



I am not aware of any author who does confidently assert the cause of 

 branches and limbs dying-off instantaneously, which frequently occurs in some 

 gardens and localities, nor do I at all assume to be able to do so ; but as they 

 generally every season ripen, their wood, even on west and east aspects in 

 England, I question if trees growing robustly, and some, perhaps, on a cold 

 subsoil, are matured to meet all contingencies, as gum, dying-off, &c. 



I have never grown Apricots in pots. I question if branches go off so 

 frequently on them, if attended to. I have grown Peaches in pots, and I am 

 convinced they are not so liable to gum, or die off in the branches; and the 

 reason, I conclude, is that their wood is generally well ripened and matured. 



I remember the severe winter that almost destroyed the constitution of 

 stone fruit trees, Peaches in particular. That autumn I had some fine, healthy, 

 young Peach trees grown on a south wall. These all gummed, and did no 

 good after that shock of their constitution. I had occasion to plant a few 

 Peach trees on the same wall which had been grown in pots. These were 

 planted in the autumn, alongside the others. Well, these from the pots with- 

 stood all the rigours of the winter uninjured, which is positive proof that all 

 delicate fruit trees, not natives of our climate, should not be robustly grown, 

 but rather the reverse. . 



