APRICOT (Fr. abricot, Sp. albaricoque, Portug. elbriroquc, from Ar. al-birq0q, gag). A fruit (Lat. Prunus Armeniaea, i.e., Ar menian plum) resembling in several respects both the peach and plum, and really inter mediate between them. It is supposed to be a native of China, and was brought into Eu rope at the time of Alexander the (h-eat. The flesh of the apricot is firm, sweet. and aromatic; the stone is smooth and slightly furrowed, like that of some plums. The skin is downy, like that of the peach. The tree resembles the plum more than the peach, in that it has ovate, acu minate, and cordate, smooth, double-toothed leaves, on long stalks, and solitary, sessile, white flowers which appear before the leaves. The danger of loss from frost, owing to its early blooming habit, as well as from Plum Cureulio, has discouraged the cultivation of the apricot in the eastern 'United States. In California and Oregon it is extensively raised. In England it is a favorite with gardeners, and is grown both in the open and as espalier or cordon on protected walls. In the eastern United States, when trained in similar manner to a northern or northeastern wall, it does %veil, as in such a situation the buds are sufficiently retarded to escape frost. The tree is as hardy as the peach, but it has the bad habit of early blooming. char acteristic of all Oriental fruits, particularly the Japanese plums.
In the eastern United States, the apricot is budded or grafted upon the plinn. This
fits it for heavy soils; on light soils, it does well when worked upon the peach, and in Cali fornia. where apricot stocks can be obtained, it is worked upon the apricot itself. In New York State there are commercial orchards of apricots, top-worked on the plum. The Rus sian apricot is a hardy form of Prunus Arme niaca, and although not in itself of merit for its fruit, may prove to be a valuable stock for the more desirable forms. Orchard culture of the apricot is. in general, the same as for the peach. (See PEACH.) Like all fruits which have been long in cultivation, the apricot has numer ous varieties; some valuable varieties are Hol land (Breda), Aloorpark, Early Golden, and Peach. The fresh fruit of the apricot is now commonly found in the markets. Large quan tities of the fruit are also dried in California and Oregon in fruit evaporators. The product is extensively shipped to different parts of the United States and abroad, for cooking purposes. For composition and food value of the fruit, see general article on FRUIT. For illustration see Plate of ABUTILON and DRUPES.
Diseases.—The apricot is subject to the same diseases as are the peach and plum. The most common disease is the leaf rust. It may be prevented by the thorough use of the standard fungicides (q.v.).