AS WELL AS FRUIT BEARING 15 
crop is principally dried and canned, although large shipments of the fresh 
fruit are made yearly to the Eastern markets with very satisfactory returns to 
the grower. The increasing demand for this fruit is causing orchardists to 
plant additional acreage and also to seek new locations where the apricot will 
produce regular and abundant crops. 
Apricots are budded on apricot, myrobolan (plum) and peach roots and on 
this account are planted in a diversity of soils. The apricot root is best adapted 
to heavy loams which are well drained, the myrobolan (plum) root to the 
heavy sub-irrigated soils, and the peach root to the light silt and sandy loca¬ 
tions. On account of their tendency to spread, the trees should be planted 
not less than 20 to 30 feet apart in regular orchard form. Locations must 
be secured which are practically free from danger of heavy late frosts, for the 
apricot, like the almond, is susceptible to damage. 
Before planting, the land should be thoroughly plowed, cultivated and har¬ 
rowed into a loose friable condition. When the trees are set, cut them back 
to 18 inches from the top of the ground, shortening in the side or lateral 
branches to 2 inches. In pruning the first winter after planting, remove all 
branches from the tree to a height of 12 inches and leave from three to five 
main branches to form the head of the tree, and cut these back to 12 inches. 
These limbs should be distributed around the trunk of the tree so as to prevent 
crowding and overlapping as the tree develops. The second winter it should 
receive another heavy pruning, cutting out all new lateral growths, leaving only 
two laterals to each of the framework branches and these should be cut back 
to not more than two feet. The third season two or three shoots should be 
allowed to start and these should be shortened in one-half. In the future prun¬ 
ing of the tree the same system of the multiplication of branches can be carried 
out, but care must be taken not to allow the branches to overlap or too many 
lateral branches left that will crowd and choke the center of the tree. It 
requires severe and systematic pruning the first two years after planting to 
bring it into proper orchard form. 
Apricots usually come into bearing the fourth year after planting, but it 
usually requires from seven to eight years to bring the tree into full bearing. 
This, however, is dependent upon the care, cultivation and pruning given dur¬ 
ing the first four or five years after it is planted.* 
Dried apricots command fancy prices from year to year and growers this 
season are receiving good prices for the dried product in the sweat box. Prac¬ 
tically all the varieties ripen their fruits in May and June and the orchardist 
can harvest and dry his crop before other fruits are ready. 
In some localities the entire crop is used for canning purposes. This is par¬ 
ticularly so in the Santa Clara valley. 
Prices of Apricot Trees, on Apricot, Myroloban and Peach Roots 
Each 10 100 
1 year....4 to 6 ft. $ .70 $6.00 $45.00 
1 year.,.3 to 4 ft. .60 5.00 40.00 
1 year.2 to 3 ft. .50 4.00 30.00 
Blenheim 
This variety is sometimes termed 
improved Royal, having all the 
among apricot growers as an 
good bearing qualities of the 
Royal but being of larger size, which is a very important feature in the cutting 
and drying of the fruit as well as for market purposes. The Blenheim is grown 
Blenheim 
