Northern Counties of England, and Southern of Scotland. Brussels Highlands of Scotland. 3 Breda 2 Apricots will not succeed in the Highlands of Scotland, except in the most favourable situations, and when planted against a south wall. Propagation. The Apricot is budded principally upon two sorts of stocks; the Muscle, and the Common Plum. The Breda, Orange, Peach Apricot, Purple, and Royal, are those generally budded upon the Muscle; and although the Moorpark is for the most part budded upon the Common Plum, on which it takes freely, yet I am persuaded that if it were budded upon the Muscle, the trees would be better, last longer in a state of health and vigour, and produce their fruit superior both in size and quality. The other sorts are of course budded upon the common stock, a sort well known, and propagated by all the stock growers in the county of Surrey. Apricots are, however, by many nurserymen, budded upon the Brussels, and another by the name of the Brompton stock. When standard trees are wanted for a temporary covering for the upper part of high walls, till intermediate dwarfs are large enough to occupy their place, the practice of budding standard high upon the Brussels stock may be allowed; but to bud Apricots, or any other fruit, upon the Brompton stock, is a practice which ought to be discontinued, even for a temporary purpose. Where trees of a more permanent character are required, the substitution of such a stock cannot be too strongly condemned. Indeed, I hope the day is not far distant when so worthless a stock will be banished from every nursery in the kingdom. I speak thus forcibly, having been compelled to burn many hundreds of beautiful-looking trees, of Peaches, Nectarines, and Apricots, of two and three years training, which had become wholly worthless, in consequence of their having been budded upon the Brompton stock. Pruning and Training. In proceeding to the pruning and training of Apricots, I must refer to what is said in the propagation of Peaches and Nectarines, so far as regards the choice of trees, and their heading down, it being equally applicable to the Apricot. If a maiden plant breaks well, it will furnish two or three shoots on each side, which number in all cases must be equal, in order to form a handsome tree: the lowest shoot on each side must be trained horizontally, and the others in an oblique or rising direction. In the following winter, if the branches on each side be two or three, they must be shortened to six inches each these will furnish three each for the following summer. In May or June, as soon as the shoots are of a sufficient length, those which are the best placed must be trained at five or six inches distance from each other, removing at the same time such others as are not wanted. In the next winter's pruning these must be shortened according to their strength; the leading shoot from each branch is usually the strongest: these may be cut back to nine or twelve inches, and the others to six or nine. In the summer, care must be taken to select and train as many of the best-placed young shoots as are wanted to form the figure of the tree, proceeding thus from year to year till it is completely furnished, both in its sides and middle, for there ought not then to be a blank space in any part within its extent. The commencement of summer pruning of Apricots always takes place in May, as soon as the young shoots are two or three inches long: this is generally termed by gardeners the disbudding season; because the superfluous shoots are at this time removed, leaving those only which are required to elongate the branches, and to furnish fruit for the succeeding season. ; The disbudding of the young shoots is by many gardeners performed by pinching them off with the finger and thumb this may be done tolerably well with care; but I have seen some, who have been gardeners for years, and who have torn them off, lacerating the bark, and leaving holes in the branches whence they were taken the consequence has been a diseased state of the tree, with gum flowing from almost every limb. A man possessing a reflecting mind must ever be incapable of practising such a barbarous method. Instead, therefore, of disbudding by either of the former methods, I would recommend a small, sharp, thin-bladed knife to be made use of, cutting off the supernumerary shoots, close to the bark of the branch, but not into it, and shortening the smaller ones to half an inch, which will occasion many of them to form natural spurs for blossoms at the base. In the winter pruning of Apricots, every shoot should be shortened according to its strength: no one should ever exceed eighteen inches, and few will ever require to be less than six in a general way, from ten to fourteen inches, in full-grown trees, appears to be the most proper length to be allowed. By pruning thus short, and training the branches thin, the trees will be kept in vigour, the fruit will always attain its full size under favourable circumstances, and its quality will be good. The Moorpark Apricot, in some situations, is apt to be affected by canker in different parts of the tree, thereby occasioning a partial loss of its limbs. When this takes place in old trees, it is too late to apply a remedy; but its occurrence may be prevented by taking up the young tree after it has been trained three or four years, cutting off close those roots which have a perpendicular direction, and spreading out the others horizontally, and re-planting it again; taking care that the part where it had been budded, be kept six or eight inches above the surface of the ground. If this be carefully performed, without shaking the mould off the roots, the progress of the tree will be but little impeded by the operation. At the end of three years more this should be repeated in the same manner, after which it will rarely happen that any of those local injuries will take place. 1. AMBRÉE. Forsyth Ed. 7. p. 79. Cerise Ambrée. Duhamel, No. 14. t. 11. Fruit large, round at the head, but flattened next the stalk, which is about two inches long. Skin rather thick, of a fine amber colour, mottled with light red and yellow, and of a bright red where exposed to the Flesh pale yellow, somewhat transparent, with white veins, and slightly tinged with red under the skin next the sun. Juice plentiful, sugary, and when fully ripe very excellent. very excellent. Stone with a very sharp sun. point. Ripe the end of July, and beginning of August. This is rather too tender for an open standard, unless in a warm sheltered situation; but does remarkably well when trained against an east wall. 2. ARCHDUKE. Forsyth. Ed. 7. No. 4. Griotte de Portugal. Duhamel, No. 18. t. 13. Portugal Duke. Pom. Franc. 2. p. 40. t. 27. f. 21. |