THE JOURNAL OP THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
345 
which it shows over the old " Horticultural 
Transactions." We miss the large coloured 
plates, but we have a good deal more care in 
the selection of the articles. There is less 
theory, but more practice — less pretension, but 
much greater value. Indeed it stands, from 
very peculiar advantages, highest among the 
periodical works connected with the higher 
walks of Horticulture. Our space will only 
admit of the following extracts : — 
Description of the Kaisha, a new Syrian 
Apricot, introduced by John Barker, Esq., 
of Suedia. By Robert Thompson, Super- 
intendent of the Orchard and Kitchen Gar- 
den Department in the Society's Garden. 
Fruit of this was sent to the Society, July 21, 
1848, by J. Warmington, Esq., of Kensing- 
ton, accompanied by the following note : — " I 
take leave to send you a couple of Apricots 
from one of Mr. Barker's Syrian trees, which 
has borne for the first time this year, and 
carried twelve fruits to maturity — rather too 
many for its size. I know not if it possesses 
any advantages over the common sort, but it 
certainly is eai'ly. Some of the fruits were 
ripe on the day of the late eChiswick exhibi- 
tion, 12th of July; and on the same wall 
where these ripened were Moorpark and Tur- 
key apricots perfectly green and hard." The 
tree was sent to Mr. Warmington, by John 
Barker, Esq., from his garden at Betias, near 
Suedia, in the Pachalik of Aleppo, where he 
states there exist thirteen varieties of apricots 
with sweet kernels — this is one of them ; and 
the sweet-kernelled apricot of Ispahan, or 
" Shuker Para" described in vol. iii, p. 228, is 
another. The fruit is roundish, five inches 
and a half in circumference, rather deeply and 
acutely channelled on one side near the base, 
the channel becoming less, till only like a 
shallow indented line as it approaches the 
summit, where it terminates in a slight depres- 
sion formed round the base of the style. The 
fruit is semitransparent. Skin slightly downy, 
pale citron-coloured where shaded, tinged and 
marbled with red next the sun. Flesh tender, 
juicy, of a clear citron-colour, parting freely 
from the stone, sugary and delicious — like 
well-refined lump-sugar combined with the 
apricot flavour. Stone small, roundish ; ker- 
nel sweet, like a nut. 
A valuable early variety for the dessert ; 
and probably excellent for preserving ; if it 
be employed for this purpose, the transparency 
of the flesh will exhibit a new feature amongst 
apricot preserves. By its clear citron-coloured 
flesh it may be distinguished from the orange- 
fleshed varieties hitherto known in this coun- 
try, some of which have likewise sweet 
kernels, such as the Breda, Musch-Musch, and 
Turkey. It is earlier than either of these. 
Hints on the Cultivation of the genus JEpacris. 
By Robert Reid, C.M.H.S., Gardener to 
Mrs. Clarke, of Noblethorpe. 
This useful genus, which is yearly becoming 
more interesting by the addition of new 
varieties, almost rivals heaths in beauty, and 
must doubtless soon receive more extensive 
cultivation than it has hitherto done ; for 
Epacrises are much better adapted for mixed 
collections than heaths, both on account of 
their more robust habits and the certainty 
with which they can be brought into flower 
at almost any given time, but more especially 
in the winter season. The following hints, 
therefore, on their cultivation may be found to 
be deserving of attention : — 
With respect to propagation and soil, they 
require the same treatment as heaths. I have 
tried a little loam with peat, but find they 
always thrive best in sandy peat alone. The 
time for shifting can hardly be fixed, but it 
should mostly be done betwixt the months of 
January and May. My practice is always to 
shift when the plant has done flowering, what- 
ever time that may happen to be. The first 
thing to be effected before shifting, is to 
carefully cut down and thin out the small 
shoots, which should be cut to various lengths 
and heights according to the size and strength 
of the plant. The rule is to cut low enough 
to cause the plant to break down close to the 
surface of the soil, so that every part may be 
fully clothed with a sufficiency of young flow- 
ering shoots ; for the main point to be con- 
sidered in pruning is to produce a regular crop 
of well-ripened young wood, on which depends 
the future display of blossoms. When the 
plant is properly pruned and shifted, it should 
be at once placed in a warmer atmosphere, 
there to grow and ripen its wood. During its 
growth, stop the young shoots frequently, more 
particularly of the strong growing varieties, 
such as grandiflora, impressa, &c. These 
should often be stopped, say at six or eight 
inches, for if allowed to grow too long they 
will be destitute of flower-buds, and will re- 
quire support from sticks, which should be 
avoided as much as possible. It will also be 
advisable, where the shoots are too thick, to 
take them off close to the stem, so as to pre- 
vent them from growing again. 
Having no other convenience at this place, 
I grow my epacrises in the pine-stove, where, 
although they do very well, yet the hot sun is 
almost too strong for them ; for towards the 
middle of summer it causes the young shoots 
to droop. A pit, where they could be shaded, 
or a vinery, would, I should think, be more 
suitable for them ; but where none of these 
places can be had, then they must occupy the 
warmest part of the greenhouse ; and when 
