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1. BLOTCHED-LEAVED ROMAN.

Blotched-leaved Turkey. Hort. Soc. Cat. No. 27. Variegated Turkey. Ib.

Abricot Maculé, of the French.

The Blotched-leaved Roman Apricot differs in no respect from the Roman Apricot, No. 11., except in its blotched leaves; more than one half of the plants budded annually in the nurseries becoming plain the first year of their growth from the bud. When the leaves retain their blotched character, the wood which produces them is always, more or less, striped and mottled with yellow, green, and brown.

DUHAMEL, Vol. i. p. 145., particularly mentions this variety of Abricot commun, indicating clearly that

those who have considered it as a Turkey Apricot have been decidedly wrong.

2. BREDA. Hort. Soc. Cat. No. 2. Pom. Mag. t. 146.

Abricot de Hollande,

or Amande Aveline.

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Duhamel, Vol. i. p. 138. t. 4. according to the Pom. Mag. Royal Persian. Hort. Soc. Cat. No. 23.

Fruit rather small, its general form roundish, but often approaching to be somewhat four-sided. The Suture is moderately deep, with a depression at its termination on the summit. The Skin, where exposed to the sun, is of a deep brownish orange. Flesh deep orange, parting freely from the stone, juicy, rich, and high flavoured. Stone rather small, roundish, compressed, but not so much as in some others. Kernel sweet, like a hazel-nut: hence the synonym of Amande Aveline, in France.

Ripens from the beginning to the middle of August on walls, and its perfection is considerably prolonged on standards.

There is very little doubt that this is the true Breda Apricot, as has been satisfactorily ascertained in the Horticultural Garden at Chiswick, and explained in the Pomological Magazine; but it is not the one mentioned by Miller. The Breda, Turkey, and Orange are the only varieties cultivated in our gardens, which have sweet kernels. There is a very fine open standard of this Apricot in the Horticultural Garden at Chiswick, which last year (1830) produced a fine crop of most excellent fruit.

3. BRUSSELS. Miller, No. 7.

Fruit of a middling size, of a somewhat oval figure, and a good deal compressed on its sides. Suture deep at the base, shallow at the apex. Skin pale yellow, full of white specks; on the sunny side red, marked with dark-brown specks and spots. Flesh yellow, firm, of a

K

high brisk flavour, readily separating from the stone. Kernel bitter, very different to that of the Breda, which is sweet.

Ripe the middle and end of August.

In a sheltered situation, exposed to the south, the Brussels Apricot bears and ripens well upon an open standard. In this case, the fruit is not so large, but of a very deep colour, a little russetty where exposed to the sun, and of a very high flavour. Thirty years ago there were four of these trees growing in a gentleman's garden at Colchester, the largest of which in some seasons produced two hundred dozen of fine fruit.

There are also at this time three or four very large trees growing as open standards in the Duke of Devonshire's gardens at Chiswick, which produce abundance of very fine fruit annually.

4. HEMSKIRKE. Pom. Mag. t. 11.

Fruit middle-sized, roundish, slightly compressed, very like a small Moorpark, from which it is only distinguished externally by its size. Flesh very bright, deep, clear orange, more tender and juicy than the Moorpark, with a particularly rich delicate flavour, resembling that of an excellent Green Gage Plum. Stone much smaller than that of the Moorpark, without a pervious passage. Kernel nearly sweet.

Ripe the end of July and beginning of August.

We are indebted to the late Mr. Lee for the introduction of this Apricot: it is a most excellent early fruit, and highly deserving of attention.

It bears freely on an east wall, where it ripens thoroughly by the end of July, acquiring a high luscious flavour, superior even to that of the Moorpark.

5. LARGE EARLY APRICOT.

Pom. Mag. t. 142. Abricot Gros Précoce, of the French, according to Abricot de St. Jean, the Pom. Mag.

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Abricot de St. Jean rouge, in Languedoc. Ib.

Abricot gros d'Alexandrie, in Provence. Ib. Fruit middle-sized, about two inches and a quarter long and two inches in diameter, somewhat oblong, compressed, projecting considerably on the side of the suture, which is deep, and terminates in a projecting point situated towards the back, beyond the axis of the fruit; back nearly straight. Skin downy, of a fine bright orange, and next the sun with spots of deeper red, pale orange on the other side. Flesh parting from the stone, orange-coloured, juicy, rich. Stone brown, much flattened, oval, sharp in the front, perforated along the back from the base to the apex. Kernel bitter.

Ripe ten days or a fortnight earlier than the Roman. In France it ripens on Midsummer-day, whence its name of A. de St. Jean.

6. MOORPARK. Hooker, Pom. Lond. t. 9.

Anson's,
Temple's,

Dunmore's Breda,

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of different Collections.

Fruit large, of a roundish figure, about seven inches and a half in circumference each way, deeply hollowed at the base, and compressed on its sides, one of which is swelled considerably more than the other at the suture, which gives it an oblique appearance. Skin pale yellow on the shaded side, but of a deep orange colour, shaded and marbled with brownish red on the side next the sun, and full of dark specks. Flesh very firm, bright orange, separating clean from the stone. Juice plentiful and excellent. Stone rather rugged, with a pervious passage, containing a bitter kernel.

Ripe the end of August and beginning of September. The Moorpark Apricot, now so universally known throughout England, is said to have been brought into this country by Sir William Temple, and planted in his garden at Moorpark: if so, it must have been an inha

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