Plants LXXVIL Vol .IV. No. 13. 



PEACHES AND ABRICOTS. 



Fig 1. The Common Peach. 



{Amygdalus Per fica.) 

 Ti ie Peach-Tree which gives us that beautiful 

 and relishing fruit, is properly a native of Pei ha, 

 where it grows wild. It was hilt brought to the 

 South of Europe and from thence transplanted in- 

 to Germany, where it *iows in Gardens, when 

 cultivated with proper care, and fhelter'd from 

 wind and cold. In the northern parts of Europe 

 even in the North of Germany it cannot be 

 brought forth in open air, and is only reared in 

 hot houfes. The peach thrives beft in France, 

 Spain, Italy and the Greek Islands, but it grows 

 alio in the South and North of Africa , and in 

 America- The tree raifed from the kernel attains 

 a height from 16 to 20 feet', but the wild peach 

 Items are commonly improved by ingrafting; by 

 which means they bear the greater and better ta- 

 iled fruit reprefeuted in (A) of Fig. i. 



The bio Ho m s which are of a reddish colour (B) 

 appear before the leaves in fpring. 



The leaves are long, flender, pointed like 

 willow leaves and indented on both fides. 



In the m oft parts of Germany the fruit is 

 ripe in Au gufi: It is full of juice and its tafte is an 

 aoreable wine acid. The ft one (C) contains à 

 kernel which has the fise and tafte of a bitter Al- 

 mond, and proves mortal to fquirrels and other 



little Quadrupeds. Beiides the peach here repre- 

 fented the Gardeners rear a great number of 

 other forts which in fact are nothing elfe than 

 varieties of the fame fpecies. 



Fig. 2. The Abricot. 



(Primus Armeiuaca.) 

 The Abricot - Tree belongs to the class of 

 Plum and Cherry Trees as may be feen by the 

 fhape and colour of its leaves. Its native coun- 

 try is Aha, efpecially Armenia. It came fir ft to 

 France and Italy, from whence it was brought 

 to Germany. The Abricot is of a less tender na- 

 ture then the peach, and therefore thrives very 

 well in Gardens and Vineyards, when fhelter'd 

 from hard and lafting frofts. 



The five leav'd flower appears early in fpring 

 before the leaves. 



The fweet and juicy fruit represented (Fig. 2.) 

 grows clofe to the ftaik, and is ripe in July or 

 Auguft. The ftu ne (C) contains alfo a kernel 

 like an Almond. 



The Abricot grows from kernels, but the 

 quality of the fruit is highly amelioiated , when 

 branches of an improved fort are ingrafted upon 

 wild Abricot, or PI urn Trees* 



Cure and attention has alfo produced a great 

 variety of Abricots. 



