JV TREES,. SHRUBS, PLANTS, FLOWERS, and FRUITS. 169 
The farther care of the fruit, in its advanced 
growth, is explained in the fummer culture of the 
trees; it attains maturely for gathering in July and 
Auguft. 
Standard Apricot Tree* planted detached from 
walls, in warm fituations, in the open ground, often 
produce plentiful crops of fine fruit that ripen in good 
perfedlion; and as to their management, they having 
full fcope in the head to branch out freely every way, 
like other (landard-trees, they only need occafional 
pruning, not regularly every year, as is necefiary for 
thofe in wall and efpalier-trees, but only to cut out ca- 
fual, diforderly branches, or to thin others where con- 
fiderably crouded, or fometimes to reduce any of long, 
rambling growth, and to cut out decayed wood; and 
which occafional pruning fhould generally be done in 
the winter feafon, or early in the fpring. 
Early Apricots are obtained by means of hot or fire 
walls, or forcing-houfes, by having bearing-trees 
planted therein, and forwarded by affiftance of fire 
heat, communicated by Hues extended within the 
forcing apartments along next the front and back 
parts, and fometimes alfo by bark-bed heat, in a ca¬ 
pacious pit within; and by either or both of which 
methods of artificial heat, the forcing is generally 
commenced about the end of January, or beginning 
or middle of February, continued till May, when, 
and beginning of June, early ripe Apricots are ob¬ 
tained. 
The trees, for this occafion, fhould be previoufly 
raifed to a bearing Hate, againft walls, &c. in the 
open ground; or fome alfo in pots, that they may be 
more conveniently tranfplanted with the ball of 
earth about their roots, intire for immediate forc¬ 
ing; and, in either method, the trees fhould be planted 
in the autumn, in the borders within the forcing-houfe, 
and the branches trained to a trellis of wood work; 
and afterwards managed, in regard to the forcing and 
other particulars, the fame as explained for forcing 
early Peaches and Nedtarines, under the article Amyg¬ 
dala:, ** . 
Of the LAURELS. 
The Laurels, agreeable to the Linnaean fyflem of 
botany, being confidered as fpecies of the Primus, 
conformable to the charaElert of their flowers and 
fruit, we have retained them accordingly, as fpecies 
of that Genus, arranged and deferibed each in its pro¬ 
per place, among the other fpecies thereof; and under 
this head is explained their general ufes and culture. 
The two fpecies of Laurels are fine ever-greens, 
of the firft eftimation for ornamental planting in 
fhrubberies and other plantations, in pleafure-grounds. 
being of the large flirub, or fmal! or moderate tree kind* 
moft beautiful in their continuing fhining foliage, at 
all feafons; large, thick, and fplendent in the com¬ 
mon Laurel, fmaller in the Portugal fort, and gene¬ 
rally doubling a little; and both of which fpecies are 
molt defirable ever-greens, to plant both in aflem-- 
blage with others of that tribe, in clumps and runnings 
plantations; and alfo to admit in thofe of deciduous, 
ornamental trees and lhrubs; and alfo to plant fingly 
in detached ftandards, in lawns, plats, borders, Sc c. 
The Common Laurel particularly, is a fuperbly- 
noble ever-green, of ftrong growth, and large, ele¬ 
gant leaves, of Angular beauty; and the tree is hardy 
to grow freely in any common foil and fiiuation, both 
in open expofures, and under (hade of trees, &c. or 
where required; defirable to admit as a principal firft- 
rate ever-green in all fhrubbery compartments, and-to 
form Laurel clumps and plantations wholly of that 
kind, which, in pleafure-grounds, parks, &c. has a 
fine effedt; and is alfo peculiarly-adapted to plant 
clofe for blind, or to cover or hide any difagreeable 
objedt, or naked, unfightly walls, palings, ditches, 
&c. in gardens, or where thought eligible, as it will 
grow any where; it was alfo formerly trained for or¬ 
namental garden-hedges; though, in giving the ne- 
ceflary annual clipping, the (hears, by cutting the 
large leaves, occasions them to appear unfightly, and 
fometimes, in hot, dry weather, make them aflume 2 
rufty hue in the cut-parts; but when, inftead of clip—- 
ping with (hears, the projedting (hoots are pruned in 
with a knife, without mangling the leaves, but pre- 
ferved whole, the hedge will then continue beautiful 
at all feafons of the year. 
The Portugal Laurel being likewife a handlomc 
ever-green, growing with a large, full, bulhy head, 
is eminently adapted for adorning principal (hrubbe- 
ries. Sec. and to plant fingly in detached (Vandard 
lhrubs, in borders, plats, lawns, or other confpicuous 
compartments, for ornament. 
They may be obtained, in proper growth, for plant¬ 
ing, at all the public nurferies, in plants two or three, 
to four or five feet high, and planted principally in the 
autumn or fpring; or may be raifed plentifully by the 
following methods. 
Both thefe fpecies of Laurel are raifed from feed, 
cuttings, and layers; but as they grow very freely 
from cuttings of the young (hoots in autumn, that 
method is commonly pradtifed. 
However, they may be occafionally propagated by 
any of thefe ways; the feed ripens, in the berries, in 
autumn, and may either fee fowed in that feafon, in 
September or Odlober, &c. or iu the fpring, in light 
Y earth. 
