Aspect

An eastern or western wall is best; for on a south aspect the fruit becomes mealy even before it is ripe. A northern exposure sometimes proves most successful, as the bloom is late, and escapes frost, which is fatal to those in more sheltered situations. As a standard, the apricot is some years before it bears, but it is then very prolific and high flavored.

Soil

The usual mellow loam of gardens is well suited to the apricot; but its roots should be kept at less than eighteen inches from the surface, and the border be well drained.

Training

The branches should be on an average six inches apart, and kept as horizontal as possible. The nearer the form can be kept to the following (Fig. 18) the better, unless the tree be weak, in which case the branches may be trained a little more vertical.

Fig. 18.

Pruning must be regulated by the knowledge that, with the exception of the Moor Park, each variety bears chiefly on the shoots of the previous years. The Moor Park mostly on spurs upon two and three years' old branches. |

Summer Pruning

Take off all fore-right shoots and others that are irregular and misplaced; reserving those that are vigorous and that will train in well for next year's bearing. If done early in May the finger and thumb will super-sede the knife for this pruning. Continue to nail the shoots to the wall as necessary during all the summer. Over-vigorous shoots may be topped in June, and be thus induced to put forth more fertile laterals.

Winter Pruning had best be done as soon as the leaves have fallen, though it may be carried on until the buds begin to swell in March. Cut out the most naked of the two previous years' shoots, and old branches not well supplied with young wood, to have their places re-occupied by younger and better branches. Keep a leading shoot at the end of each branch. Vigorous shoots of the last year shorten about one-eighth - weaker shoots about one-half. This promotes the production of laterals for next year's fruiting, and gives a fuller supply of sap to the blossom buds; but if the shortening is too great, the latter will be converted to leaf-buds. Cut off all fore-right spurs; but lateral spurs may be retained, as they sometimes produce blossom buds, as they always do in the Moor Park.

Espaliers are to be formed as those on walls, and standards only require dead, crowded, or chaffing branches to be removed.

When an apricot gets old and diseased, it is much more profitable to replace it by a younger, than to attempt its renovation.

Gathering should take place before the fruit is quite ripe, or it will be mealy.

Thinning, as soon as the fruit is large enough for tarts, in May or early in June, should be boldly done, no fruit being left nearer than six inches to another.

Insects

Wasps and flies are best kept off by a net, not nearer than a foot to the wall.

Mildew is often the most formidable assailant of the apricot, as it usually arises from excess of moisture to the root; draining the border, and mixing lime with the soil, will be in such case found efficacious as a preventive, and at the time a syringing with water containing one-eighth of gas ammonia-cal liquor.