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Subsect. 2, Apricot.—Vrùnus Amenìaca L., Armmiaca vulgàris P. S. (Lam. Ili.
t. 431.) ; Icos. Vi-Fentag. L. and Rosàcece j. Malus Aìtìieniaca of the ancients ;
Ahricotier, Fr. ; Aprikosenhaum, Ger. ; Abrihoos, Dutch ; Vroeghe PeersclJicns, Bclg. ;
Albercocco, ItaÌ. ; and Albarico-queira, Span.
4427. The apricot is a low tree, of rather crooked growth, and generally supposed to
liave originated in Ai'inenia ; but Regnier and Sickler assign it a parallel between the
Niger and the Atlas ; and Pallas states it to he a native of the whole of the Caucasus,
the mountains tliero, to the top, hemg covered with it. Thunbcrg describes it as a
very large, spreading, branchy tree in Ja]ian. Grossicr says that it covers the ban-en
mountains to the west of Pekin, that the Chinese have a great many varieties of the tree,
double-blossomed, which they plant on little mounts for ornament, and dwarfs in pots
for tlieir apartments. It appears, from Turner’s Herbal, that the apricot was cultivated
here in 1562 ; and in Hakluyt’s liemembrancer, 1582, it is affirmed, that the apricot was
procured out of Italy by Wolfe, a French priest, gardener to Henry VIII. The fruit
seems to have been known in Italy in the time of Dioscorides, under the name of
Prcecocia, probably, as Regnier supposes, irom the Arabic, Berkock; whence the Tuscan,
Bacoche or Albicocco; and the English, or, as Professor Martyn observes,
a tree, when first introduced, might have been called a pracox, or early fi-uit ; and gardeners,
taking the article a for the first syllable of the word, might easily have corrupted
it to apricocks. Mayor (Pomona Fraiiconica) says that its Greek names ai'e M^Arj
’ApixfiviaKa, ripaiKoic/cia, EiipiKOKKia ; the Latin, Armeniaca epirotica, orbiculata, prcecocia,
and prcecoqua. The ancients, he observes, named it also Mala persica prcecocia ; and
from this word, prcecocia, he concludes that apricot has been derived. The orthography
seems to hai’e been finally changed to apricot about the end of the last century ; as
Justice, in 1764, writes apricock ; and Kyle, of Moredun, in 1782, api'icot. The latter is
an easier pronunciation ; but the former is more in accordance with its derivation.
4428. Use. T h e fruit is used in a raw state a t the dessert, and is esteemed next to th e peach ; it is
also made into marmalades, jellies, and preserves. Grossier says, that lozenges are made b y th e Chinese,
from the clarified juice, which, dissolved in w ater, yield a cool refreshing beverage: oil may be extracted
from the nut, and th e young shoots yield a fine golden cinnamon-colour to wool.
4429. Varieties. Parkinson, in 1629, enumerates six ; Rea, 1720, seven ; th e Luxembourg catalogue, in
1800, fifteen; and the British catalogues enumerate about the same number. The following arrangement
is by Mr. Thompson, of th e Horticultural Society’s Garden, as given in the U o r t. T ra ils ., second
series, v o l.i. p. 56.
I. Kerxei-s, Bitter. 5. Blotchod-leaved Roman.
* Fruit smal!, round, early. Royal.
1. Red masculine.
2. IVhitc masculine.
** Fruit large.
t Channel of the stone closed up.
i Flesh parling/roin the Stone.
5. Large early.
4. Roman.
7. Brussels.
8. Shipley’s.
9. Almond.
5T5r Flesh adhering to the Slone.
10. ilontgamct.
t t Channel of the Stone pervious.
11. Moorpark.
12. Uemskirkc.
II, KERNELS, SWEET.
* Flesh parting from the. Stone.
15. MuscU Musch.
16. Turkey.
* * Flesh adhering to the Stone.
17. Orango.
4430. Selection of th e sorts enumerated in the preceding arrangement ; th e following are most to be
recommended for cultivation: —
1. Red masculine. Masculine, Early pt_c.r ial P»Te_a_c_h,\ nArb.r.7ic_o_t1 -p 6Me he, rArtb,r.Ji-
Red masculine. Brown masculine,
Abricot précoce. Abricot hàtif
musqué (Duh. t 1., Ilort. Trans.,
2d scries, i. 58.) s small, hemispherical,
hollowed at tlic base ;
brownish-red ; chiefly esteemed for
its earilocss ; ripens about the end
of Juno or beginning of July.
2. Large early. Abricot gros précoce,
Abricot de St. Jean, Abricot gros
d’Alexandrie (Pom. Mag., t. 142.,
Hort. Trans., 2d series, i. 60.) :
large, somewhat oblong, compressed,
bright orange, red next the sun,
elsewhere pale orange; flesh juicy
aud rich ; ripens about the middle
of July ; the earliest large sort of
apricot.
5. Royal {Pom. Mag., t. 2., Hort. Trans.,
2<1 series, I. 6o.) : large, roundish-
oval, resembling the Moor])ark in
appearance, and equalling it in
richness of flavour, but tliffers in
riix-ning about ten days earlier, and
having no pervious channel along
tlie edge from base to apex of tho
stone ; ripens about the end of July
or beginning of August; a valuable
large, roundish, hrowoish-orangc,
intermixed with ferruginous specks;
flesh very rich and juicy ; stone peculiarly
perforated, so that a pin may
be introduced from tho base to the
apex i ripens beginning or middle of
August.
5. Jlrcda, Brussels or Breda, Abricot de
Hollande, Amantle Aveline, Ananas
{Pom. Mag., t. 140., Hort. Trans.,
2d series, i. 69.)i rather small, roundish,
or obtusely four-sided, deep
brownish-orange ; flesh deep orange,
juicy, rich, and high-flavoured ; ripens
ft-om the beginning to the middle
of August on walls, and, a.sit will
succeed as a standard, it may be obtained
from auch a t a much later period
ofthe season; the fruit, of course,
will bo smaller than from walls,
but it is much richer, and answers
well for preserving; and as it generally
hears ovcr-ahundantly in the oi>on
ground when the season is favourable
for its sotting, it requires and deserves
a little shortening and thinning of
the shoots as winter pruning.
6. Orange, Early orange, Royal orange,
Royal George, D’Orango {Hort.
small, rounaisn, acep orango yc
flesh bright orange, adhering t ........
stone; In some seasons juicy, but not
very ric h ; ripens beginning of August
; a good bearer ; and chiefly
used for preserving.
7. Turkey, Large Turkey {Pom. Mag.,
t. 25., Hort. Trans., 2d series, i. 75.):
largo, roundish ; deep yellow with
brownish orange-red spots ; flesh
pale yellow, juicy aud rich ; ripens
end of August or later.
8. Musch Musch, Abricot d’Alexandrie
{Hort. Trans., 2d series, i. 72. t. 1.):
small, round; pale next tlie wall,
deep orango and red next tho sun;
flesh tender and sweet; ripens end
of July or beginning of August ;
grown in Upper Egypt, where tho
fruit Is dried as an article of commerce.
The kernels are sweet; and
seedlings from tliem would probab'y
intiorit tho same projierties with fruit
of larger size. On this aeeount it is
here noticed, rather tlian with a view
to recommend it for eultlv.ation, as it
is doubtful whether in this climate it
would in any way deserve a place, in
comparison of quality, with thoso
above mentioned.
4431. P ro p a g a tio n . New varieties are procured from the seed as in th e peach, and approved sorts are
perpetuated by budding, generally on muscle or plum stocks. T h e Brussels and Breda, when intended
for standards, are budded on the St. Julian plum, which produces a strong clean stem ; but for the rest,
any stock will do, provided it be free and thriving. Knight (H o r t. IV a n s ., vol. ii. p. 19.) recommends
budding th e Moorpark on an apricot stock, which he has found prevents the trees of this sort from becoming
diseased and debilitated, which they generally do on plum-stocks. Budding apricots is generally
performed early in th e season, from the middle of Ju n e to the end of July. F or dwarfs, the bud is inserted
6 in. or 8 in. from the gro u n d ; and th e sorts are sometimes twice budded, or one variety budded
on another, which is said to keep th e trees in a more dwarf state. F or riders or standards, they are
b u d ^ d on plum ttocks 4 ft. or 5 ft. high. Miller prefers half standards, budded about 3 ft or 4 ft from
^ produced being less liable to suffer from high winds.
Y i i Y V ,-Abercrombie prefers trees of two or three years’ growth from the bud and
int/e ri«a ii i- Til d if he cSann", ssuucdhi as have been hf eaded down, of two or th ree years’ groswtrtohn gaess tth aenvd w cillel ahneeasrt
rtrieraess with one stem ; qr,4 if 4the/ y have two, one of them should be scou t troefaf;t efdo.r . bHv en slaaynst,i’n ‘c/ / tlhaokset cwhioMiic erw Sof
stem, the middle of the tree is left naked, and, of eourse, one third of the w i l T r S m "u n ite e rrf "
or a ’¡ [ ’’‘¡ "“ ’’’e - Abercrombie says, the best season is from the fall of the leaf until February
A u S 'U e ^ t ^ l S f b S ' f o l a » ’’'' “ " re " too late. Forsyth says, th e best time is in"
waarmn .s itFuiantaiol npsla ;n t;in g i ,. f e e —f russels „..are rt occasionaUy eyiieiajjr planted wicl
standards, or espaliers. In m these states, in fine seasons, produce more hi:
ire gen— • -----
flavoured fruit than on wails.
arpTfoahfp T h / hfoii full south, the great heat causes them to be mealy before they
re “ S im , ifl “ 5 « - . ''“ e. “ d 2 ft, or 2J f t , deep. The soli I
or west aspect ; for, if they
are eatable. Tho borders shu-a,.®. ..vi, ui
Forsyth says, “ th e borders may be' 3 ftr'deeV-” “ “ Standa'rd anri“
thiiA bearing under a considerable number of years, soinetimes
ten or twelve; but then the fruit, m a congenial situation, is abundant and of the finpst fiflvnnr
o f a particular sort is mealiness, and yet it cannot be expected to ripen on
will im jra v e the K r i r ” training the plant to a trellis almost touching a south wall,
o f tra in in g The fan method is very generally adopted with this tre e : Forsvth prefers the
r i / / fo foifo r o/o®" 4 H®’"® horizontally, but “ so as to let the branches h a v l an elevatiqn
to their extremities of 20°, varied, however, according to th e luxuriancy or weakness of the tree ”
fo / r®® proceeds to fill the wall by heading down, twice a year, in th e same manner as with
the apple and pear. I h e result produces a tree ( flg .8 0 5 .) not essentially different from F o r s j™
t o ' l i ’"-) " « “ Id be less liable to die off if a little more
taf « « °n th o T r i t lS t aM e “ ™ "re“ 1 «ds they maybe allowed to form on angle
‘’i k c a r in g . The varieties of the apricot, in general, bear chiefly unon the youne shonts nf
nark t e i ’rs L “ I’i°".™ .*1’?;''® ” ®‘” 1 *"« *"’« «s three-year-old fruit branches, f h e Monr-
I'®“"' * «” '1 « " «I°s® spurs formed on th e two-year-Sid w ted The
a r o t e a f e w S g ip p t e f a r e ‘”' “ «'">“ «17 f™“ «■« «í«s along th e sides ; and these buds have
c o u r f e ' o L r ] S ¥ f e f u n S » a t o " S 'r e " "1’™ ° “ ««“ Pr«"«” ds a summer and winter
a l l t e ’ A n m T i ’i " ’ m to " ‘"«.s“ ”;“ «‘-.P>-;“ “ g In May or early in June, and continue it occasion-
th e first Dl?ciré/firé ’f f / '« c l ii fo ré"® ¿m c ip a lly to regulate the young shoots o fth e same year. In
!u /u ria n ? fr fore-nght shoots, and others, th a t are ill placed or irre g u la r or too
S r i d / sh/ots vvitVp to retain a cornpetent supply of choice, well-placed, moderately growan
summL rcfo ^^fo ™ ÍÍ"* b ra n ch . Continue these mostly a t their full llngth
wt onn tte/r™p ranninSe ffoLr P®'" bearers next year'*".^ S%TITf /tfuhoe’’ summer reg® usluaftfiio«ne nc®oym ttmoo eccnhhcooeoo esseea rfflrrvoo. mmw hiininl ett hhfoeee gg «eehnnneeerraar?ll
re Quite w / / h « > year.If the regulation commence early,while the shoots
e rfoW H 1 4 u were, herbaceous, and only 1 in., 2 in., 3 in., or 4 in. long, those improper to
lo /e d wfth Th /k n ife i the finger and thumb; but when of firmer growth, they m is t be reime
whinh vvfii/ / .frany very strong shoot n se in any casually vacant part, it maybe topped In
several laterals th e same year of more moderate growth, Eligible
p o ltl?Y rS /? eT fS e ’® e> ^/T // tq b ^ e commended in regard to th e apricot, as it is in the case of the
but at firL v e rT cT/ri-/ f should be conducted on th e same principles; viz. commence in good time,
buds and aftra fh? ///,® / i PUK'fe®’ by insensible degrees, a sprinkling from the fore-right
few m o r e . (S . T.) assisted to put the fluids of the tree in a more active state, take off a
4440. T h in n in g 'th e fru it. Sometimes apricots are much too numerous, often growing in clu sters; in
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