1878. ] 
THE CULTURE OF WALL-FRUITS-CHAP. XIII. 
39 
THE CULTURE OF WALL FRUITS. 
Chapter XIII.— The Apricot. 
Gj'jON comparison with other kinds of fruit- 
m trees—the Peach, for example—the 
Apricot is, as a general rule, a much 
less tractable subject. There are some few 
favoured localities where the soil and subsoil 
are so well suited to its requirement? that the 
labour involved in its cultivation is reduced to 
a minimum, owing to the very fruitful nature 
of the wood produced by trees growing in such 
soils and subsoils. These, however, are excep¬ 
tions, and not the rule, and in most localities 
it will be found that the Apricot will require 
very careful management, both as regards roots 
and branches, in the several stages of its growth, 
in order to obtain an adequate amount of 
success in the production of fruit. 
The cultural manipulations of both Peach 
and Apricot have many requirements common 
to each other, but some of them differ in the 
degree of their applicability to each. These 
differences I hope to be able to point out in 
the course of my remarks. In the first place, 
I am inclined to the belief that the Apricot is 
a more tender tree in its constitution than the 
Peach, and more susceptible of injury to the 
fruit in the early stages of growth in the spring, 
principally owing to its habit of flowering so 
much earlier, thereby exposing it, after being 
well set, to the rigours of the severe frosts to 
which we are so often subjected at the end of 
April and beginning of May. This peculiarity 
of the tree necessitates an increased amount of 
care, both in the matter of protection and as 
an influencing element in the case, in the en¬ 
deavour to secure a fair amount of well-ripened 
wood in the autumn. Indeed, this latter may 
well be considered as one of the most import¬ 
ant points to which the cultivator’s attention 
should be especially directed. 
Now as this ripening of the wood is in a 
very great measure dependent on the nature of 
the soil and subsoil, and where these are not 
naturally favourable, on the consequent forma¬ 
tion of borders adapted to their requirements, 
it will perhaps be best to commence by indica¬ 
ting some of the essential points which it is 
necessary should be taken into consideration. 
The first of these is an absolutely perfect 
system of drainage. No fruit-tree is more im¬ 
patient of what we used to call a wet bottom, 
but which, in these improving days, we must 
refer to as the presence of stagnant water 
amongst the roots ; although, let me observe 
by way of parenthesis, that with perfect 
drainage, no tree will bear with advantage a 
greater amount of water during the growing 
season and previous to the fruit ripening, than 
the Apricot, but it must percolate away freely, 
though not necessarily too quickly. It may, 
then, be gathered from the tenour of the pre¬ 
ceding remarks that the care which it will be 
requisite to bestow upon the formation of tho 
borders in the first instance will very much 
depend upon the nature of the subsoil. Some 
subsoils are naturally of so porous a texture that 
drainage is not necessary, and to break up the 
bottom, and form the border upon it will be 
quite sufficient, as these are the kind of subsoils 
on which the Apricot flourishes best; but 
when the subsoil is of a very stiff character 
and retentive of moisture, too much care cannot 
be bestowed upon the formation of the bottom 
of the borders. 
The texture of the compost which is avail¬ 
able for the borders should regulate the depth, 
as provided the drainage is sufficient, the 
Apricot is not very particular as to the 
materials of which it is composed; so that if 
the staple of the compost is a strong holding 
loam, two feet of depth will be ample, but with 
a very light and porous soil through which 
water passes freely, a greater depth of compost 
will be beneficial. 
The necessary depth being settled, there 
must be below it at least one foot of rub¬ 
ble. Many things are available for this 
purpose, and amongst others the clinkers 
from furnaces form very durable drainage; 
broken stones may likewise be used, but from 
choice I greatly prefer old bricks, broken up to 
about the same size as the stones used for 
macadamizing roads. The bottom of the 
border should slope outwards from the wall 
sufficiently to carry the water off to the front, 
where there should be an additional depth of a 
foot taken out, and also filled with rubble. 
This latter must have an outlet drain, and if 
that has to be carried any distance, it is best to 
lay down a four-inch drain-pipe, and cover that 
also with rubble about a foot in depth. This 
