The A'ewington nectarine is rather a large fruit ; of a beautiful red next the sun, and on the other side of a bright yellow ; flesh melting ; juice very rich, racy and high fla voured ; a not ripening before September : the tree a good bearer, w hen in a favourable situation.
The Red Roman nectarine is a large fruit ; deep red or purple next the sun, and yellowish on the other side ; flesh firm and of excellent flavour ; when quite ripe, it shrivels ; a clingstone, not ready before the middle of Sep tember.
The itlurrey e. murrey-coloured) is a middle-sized fruit, of a dirty red colour 'next the sun ; the pulp pretty well flavoured ; ripens from the beginning to the middle of September.
Temple's nectarine is a middle-sized fruit, of a light red next the sun, and yellowish-green on the other side ; pulp melting, with a fine poignant flavour ; the skin shrivelling when the fruit is perfectly ripe, which seldom happens be fore the end of September : the tree grows freely, and is generally productive.
To these may be added the Early Violet nectarine, of middle size, violet purple next the sun, pale yellow on the other side ; flesh sugary, juice with a vinous flavour ; clingstone, ripening in the beginning of September : the blossom is very small, but the tree very productive ; it requires a good situation, and succeeds only in warm seasons.
The production of a new and early nectarine, suited to the climate of Britain, may be considered as one of the de siderata in our horticulture. It may here be mentioned, that a new variety of white nectarine is described by recent French writers as being remarkably early and of excellent flavour ; the foliage of the tree is of a pale or whitish green ; it was raised by Mr Noisette, a nurseryman at Brunoy.
The management of the nectarine-tree is in every respect the same as that of the peach. In this coun try nectarines require the best exposure in the garden ; and to the northward of Yorkshire, they seldom acquire maturity without the aid of a fluid wall and artificial heat.
Almond.
94. The Almond-tree, (Amygdalus communis, L.) can scarcely be ranked as an effective fruit-tree in this coun try. In clumps of shrubs on the lawn, it makes a fine ap.
pearance in early spring, when covered with its beautiful blossoms. In good seasons, such standards produce some ripe fruit : but ornament is its principal recommendation ; and if the fruit be no object, the double-flowered variety is preferable. Trained against a wall, the almond-tree per fects its fruit in our ordinary seasons, when the outer cover opens naturally to give out the stone containing the kernel. They are very sweet and fit for the table when green, and they are sometimes kept in sand till winter.
In France, the almond tree is much cultivated. Bastien enumerates nine varieties; among which is an amandier pecker, or peach-almond tree, supposed to have been deriv ed from an impregnation of the almond by the pollen of the peach. On the same tree, he tells us, two sorts of fruit occur ; the one round, fleshy, and divided by a furrow like the peach ; the other oblong, not fleshy, and resembling the common almond.
The kinds of almond chiefly cultivated for their fruit are, The common sweet almond ; Tender shelled ; Hard shelled ; Sweet Jordan ; and Bitter almond.
'These different varieties are propagated by budding on plum or peach stocks, or on almond stocks raised from the stones ; plum stocks being preferred for strong and moist soils, and peach or almond stocks for such as are light and dry. In this country it often happens that the varieties are little attended to. Almond trees are raised from the stones, and of course are liable to sport, as gardeners speak. It may be remarked, that even when they are rais ed from the stones, budding or working of one new variety upon another, is extremely useful in hastening the produc tion of fruit.
The general management in regard to pruning, &c. is similar to that of the peach tree, only that the bearing twigs are often left six inches long without being nailed to the wall.
Apricot.
95. The Apricot tree (Prunus Arnzeniaca, L. ; Icosan dria Illonogynia ; sirmeniacece, hiss.) is said to be a na tive of the whole of the Caucasus, the mountains almost to the top being covered with it. It is supposed to have been introduced into this country in the reign of Henry VIII.