The young Apricot tree, after it has attained the age of three, four, or five years, should be in a good condition for planting in a permanent position. No young tree should be so planted unless it is in perfect health, making abundance of strong wood, and having vigorous roots. Trees not in a flourishing condition before planting can never be expected to make satisfactory trees. If the Apricot does not produce a healthy tree, possessing six or seven branches at three years' growth from the bud, the chances are it will not do so at four or five. With regard to the best season for planting the Apricot, I think most cultivators are agreed that autumn is the period for planting of all our large-growing hardy fruits - say the end of September or beginning of October. If planted then, the roots will start and make young spongioles ready to begin their work with the earliest dawn of vegetation in spring. The value of early planting will therefore be apparent to every gardener. If not planted before the middle of November, delay the operation till the middle or end of January, but not later than the middle of February. As the Apricot is early excited into growth, late planting should be avoided.

The tree planted in autumn will not require so much watering and mulching as the one planted during winter or early spring, although it would be to its advantage, planted at any season, to have the benefit of a little attention in this way for the first year or two, especially if the season should prove very dry. Where mulching is done, I would recommend its removal about the middle of August, so that any superfluous moisture might dry up before the rains of autumn and winter set in. This will materially assist the ripening of the wood and the perfecting of the buds.

The next thing to be considered is the situation best suited for the Apricot. It is seldom the Apricot is planted as a standard, and this mode of cultivation is never attended with any amount of success except in one or two of the best districts in England. The Breda, the Brussels, and the Roman, being the hardiest, are generally selected for this purpose. Wall cultivation is pretty generally adopted throughout the United Kingdom: to this I will confine myself. In the south of England both the east and west aspects have been selected for the Apricot, but in my estimation the west is the better of the two. In spring, when the trees are in bloom, sharp frosts are apt to set in from the east and north-east, so that the trees having an eastern aspect are more likely to suffer than those on a west wall, especially if with the frost comes a slight breeze. It may be argued that nets will protect the blossoms, but of this I am somewhat sceptical; for though the frost falls perpendicularly, yet in proportion to the motion of the atmosphere will be the angle at which it will fall, so that the greater the angle, the greater the chances will be for the frost to find its way to the flowers.

In the western aspect the reverse takes place, for the greater the motion in the atmosphere the greater will be the chances of its being carried clear of the trees. All things considered, I prefer a west to an east wall for the Apricot in the best districts of the country. In the northern parts of England and the whole of Scotland there can be no doubt that the south is the best aspect for it.

The soil which best suits the Apricot is a good friable loam, free and open, and having a fair admixture of sand, should this not be possessed by it in its natural state. Great attention should be given to the making of the borders, as much of the after-success depends upon this. Drainage is of prime importance; for though the Apricot delights in moisture during the growing season, yet it is very impatient of it at other times, more especially if stagnant about the roots. To obviate this, let the border be well drained, having an arterial drain passing along the front of the border at the depth of 3 1/2 feet or more, with branch ones running up every 10 or 12 feet from it to the wall. These having been carefully placed into position, let 6 or 8 inches of rubble be placed over the whole bottom of the border much in the same way as for Vines. This will assist the drains to perform their work, and prevent, to some extent, the falling in of the soil upon the tiles, which might find its way into them, and probably fill them up. As I have before stated, the opener and freer the soil the better for the Apricot. A light loam from an old pasture is the best - the more fibre in it the better.

It should be cut several months before it is required, and put into a heap so as to destroy vegetable growth. The soil before being used should, if in the least approaching "heavy," have a quantity of some such material as lime-rubbish, charcoal, or wood-ashes added to it, in proportion to the quantity, to make it porous and free. Should none of these be easily procured, I should never hesitate to use manure such as can be procured about all towns, with a good mixture of coal-ashes in it. This having been got ready, let a layer of turf be laid over the rubble in the bottom, and fill in the soil to the desired depth. This operation should be done a few weeks before the planting takes place, so that the whole may have somewhat subsided. The young trees may then be carefully lifted, using steel forks for the operation, so as to injure the roots as little as possible. All rank root-growths should be cut away by a clean cut, and should any of the roots have a downward tendency, they should be removed if not capable of being placed in a horizontal position. In the act of planting, put 2 inches of finer soil where the roots are to lie.

Place the tree upon this, spreading out the roots regularly in every direction, cover them over to the depth of 2 inches with the finer soil, and fill up the hole with the soil of the border. Should it be dry, a good watering will be necessary to settle the soil about the roots. When planting, the roots of the tree should be kept at least 6 inches from the bottom of the wall, or the result will be that as they increase in size they will press so much against the wall as to draw the upper branches away from it altogether. About the beginning of November a good mulching ought to be placed over the roots, to prevent their suffering from frost on account of their being placed so near the surface. This mulching may remain till the beginning of March, when danger from severe frost is over. About the beginning or middle of May, in very dry localities, it may again be replaced to protect the roots from the effects of drought, and removed in autumn as already directed. The trees when planted should not be nailed against the wall for some considerable time, as the result of this would be what is termed "hanging." They should, however, be tied up to a few stakes placed in the soil to prevent injury from wind.

James M'Millan. (To be continued).