APRICOT (Armeniaca vulgaris). The name of the apricot has been thought to be derived from apricus, open and exposed to the sun, or from præcox, early ripe; but there can be no doubt that the word is a corruption of the Arabic name of the fruit. In England, it is one of the earliest wall-fruits, and held in the highest estimation. The fruit, when gathered young to thin the crop, makes an excellent tart; and when ripe, it is second to no fruit for preserves or jam: it gives an excellent flavour to ice, and makes a delicious liqueur: of all the fruits used in pastry, none is more beautiful or agreeable than the ripe apricot. To prolong the enjoyment of this fruit in its natural state, we should be careful to plant the earliest variety in the warmest situation, as the frost often injures the blossoms unless it is protected by a glass shutter. The apricot, as well as the plum, may be kept for our dessert two or three weeks later, by gathering it when half ripe, and placing it in an ice-house, a dairy, or any cool place, where it slowly ripens.

Apricots, if not too ripe, agreeably astringe and strengthen the stomach; but like all other perfumed watery fruit, it loses its aromatic and tempting flavour, becomes clammy, and is less easy of digestion, when over-ripe: they should therefore be gathered at least twentyfour hours before they acquire the last degree of maturity.

Of this excellent fruit, thirty-nine varieties have been described in the Horticultural Society's catalogue. For a small garden, Mr. Lindley recommends the following selection.

The Moorpark and Turkey have been recommended where variety is not wanted, the former being fine, and a good bearer; the latter not a good bearer, but very fine. The apricot requires a rich soil, rather lighter than the apple and pear.

Budding is generally performed from the middle of June to the end of July, on mussel plum stocks two or three years old. The Breda, peach apricot, royal, and a few others are those generally budded upon the mussel, "and although," says Mr. Lindley," the Moorpark is, for the most part, budded upon the common plum, on which it takes freely, yet I am persuaded that if it were budded on the mussel, the trees would be better, last longer in a state of vigour, and produce their fruit superior both in size and quality."

rising on the two or three year old fruit branches. The pruning of wall-apricots comprehends both a summer and a winter course of regulation. In May, the summer pruning commences by the disbudding and removal of the superfluous shoots, and shortening the smaller shoots to half an inch, which will occasion many of them to form natural spurs for blossoms at the base. This should be carefully done with a sharp thin-bladed knife Care must also be taken to select and train as many of the best placed young shoots as may be wanted to form the figure of the tree, proceeding thus from year to year, till it is completely furnished, both in its sides and middle, for there ought not then to be a blank space in any part within its extent.

For the winter pruning of apricots, every shoot should be shortened according to its strength, none being permitted to exceed 18 inches, while a few will require to be even less than 6. By pruning thus short, and training the branches thus, the trees will be kept in vigour, the fruit will always attain its full size under favourable circumstances, and its quality will be good.

When the fruit is found to be too numerous and growing in clusters, thinning must be resorted to in May and June, leaving the most promising fruit singly, at three or four inches distance; or from about two to six on the respective shoots, according to their strength. The retained fruit should in all instances be situated at the sides of their respective shoots, and no fore-right fruit be suffered to remain; for these being exposed to the full power of the sun, will perish before they can arrive at maturity.

In the United States, where the changes of atmospheric temperature are so sudden and great, the apricot seldom produces well in the open air. The trees in outside culture should not be too much sheltered, so as to encourage a too early flow of sap. The smooth surface of this fruit subjects it to the attacks of the curculio. For the Middle States the two most favourite varieties are the Moorpark and Breda. The Golden Dubois, Burlington, Vandementer, and Peach are also recommended.

China and Japan, where the apricot is extensively cultivated, may yet supply the U.S. with choice varieties.

ARBOR VITÆ (Thuja). The generic name of this tree is a corruption from ez of Theophrastus, or thya of Pliny, which were derived from the verb thyô, I perfume; as the thya of the ancients gave out an aromatic smoke when it was burnt. It is called arbor vitæ, or tree of life, because it keeps in full leaf winter and summer; and not in allusion to the tree of life mentioned in the book of Genesis. The first mention we have of it in England is by Gerard, in his History of Plants, which was published in 1597. He tells us that it was then growing plentifully in his garden at Holborn, where it flowered about May, but it had not then ripened seed.

"The Thuja from China's fruitful lands,"

screen private walks or low buildings, as it gives out flat spreading branches near the ground; but it has a sombre appearance, unless associated with more cheerful foliage, or ornamented by some gay climbing plant, as the everlasting pea, the flaming nasturtium, or our native bindweed.

The arbor vitæ, which we have borrowed from the extremity of the east and of the west, as a mere ornament to our pleasure-grounds, forms an article of utility and profit to the inhabitants of its native soil. It is reckoned the most durable wood in Canada, where it is known by the name of the white cedar. All the posts which are driven into the ground, and the palisades round the forts, are made of this wood. The planks in the houses are made of it; and the thin narrow pieces of wood which form both the ribs and the bottom of the bark boats commonly made use of there, are taken from this wood, because it is pliant enough for the purpose, when fresh, and also because it is very light. The thuja wood is reckoned one of the best for the use of limekilns. Its branches are used all over Canada for brooms, which leave their peculiar scent in all the houses where they are used. The arbor vitæ affords [a popular remedy for rheumatic and some other complaints among the Indians and settlers of North America.]

The finest trees are always raised by seed, but they are more easily propagated by layers or cuttings. (Phil. Syl. Flor.)

ARBUTUS. A genus of evergreen shrubs which is characterized by its fruit being a berry, containing many seeds. The only variety necessary to be enumerated in these pages is the Arbutus unedo, or strawberry tree. In Pliny's time, when Rome abounded in wine and oil, they called the tree unedo, which was an abridgment of unum edo, meaning, You will eat but one." It has the name of strawberry-tree with us, because its berries so nearly resemble in appearance that delicious fruit. It is found growing spontaneously on rocky limestone situations in the west of Ireland, particularly in the county of Kerry, near the lake of Killarney, where the peasants eat the fruit. The arbutus is a native of the south of Europe, Greece, Palestine, and many other parts of Asia.

Horace celebrates the shade of this tree :

"Nune viridi membra sub arbuto
Stratus."

But Virgil describes its foliage as rather thin (Eel. vii.), and recommends the twig as a winter food for goats.

The arbutus tree succeeds best in a moist soil, for when planted in dry ground it seldom produces much fruit. It is therefore recommended to place it in warm situations; and if the earth is not naturally moist, there should be plenty of loam and rotten neat's dung laid about its roots, and in dry springs it should be plentifully watered.

The arbutus trees may be propagated by layers, but they are principally raised from seed; and they require to be kept in pots for several years before they are ready for the plantation. We meet with a variety of this,

tree in our shrubberies with double blossoms, and another with red flowers. Aiton enumerates five different species of the arbutus, and there are several varieties of them in the Parisian gardens not to be seen in our shrubberies. The leaves of the arbutus are said to be usefully employed by tanners in preparing their leather. ` (Phillips's Sylva Florifern.)

This beautiful evergreen grows to the height of ten and fifteen feet. Its flowers, which are of a yellowish white or red colour bloom in September, October, and November, and are succeeded by the fruit, which remain till the flowers of the following year are full blown, thus giving the tree a beautiful appearance.

ARCHED. A term employed among horsemen. A horse is said to have arched legs when his knees are bent archwise. This only relates to the fore-quarters, and the infirmity sometimes happens to such horses as have their legs spoiled in travelling.

ARGILLACEOUS. [Clayey.] Containing

clay.

ARM OF A HORSE. A term applied to the upper part of the fore-leg.

ARNOTTO. See ANNOTTA. AROMATIC. An epithet applied to such plants, and other bodies, as yield a fragrant odour, and have a warm spicy taste.

AROMATIC REED (Acorus calamus). The common sweet-flag. A marshy perennial plant of the easiest culture, flowering from June till August, which grows among rushes in moist ditches and watery places, about the banks of rivers, but not very general. Root, thick, rather spongy; leaves, erect, two or three feet high, bright green, near an inch broad. It rarely flowers unless it grows in water, but when it does bloom, it puts forth a mass of very numerous, thick-set, brownish green flowers, which have no scent except when bruised. Every part of the herbage is stimulant, and very aromatic, but the roots are espe cially so. The dried root powdered is used by the country people of Norfolk, [England,] for curing the ague. It is affirmed to possess carminative and stomachic virtues, having a warm, pungent, bitterish taste, and is frequently used in preparing bitters, though it is said to impart a nauseous flavour. It is the Calamus aromaticus of the shops, and Linnæus says, the roots powdered might supply the place of foreign spices. (Eng. Flor. vol. ii. p. 157; Paxton's Bot. Dict.; Willich's Dum. Encyc.)

ARPENT. The French name for an acre. [The French arpent contains 51,691 square English feet, or very nearly one acre and threequarters of a rood English measure.]

ARROW-GRASS (Triglochin). Perennial marsh herbs, of which there are two kinds, the marsh arrow-grass and the sea arrow-grass, both perennials, flowering from May till Au gust. They grow in wet boggy meadows and salt marshes, &c., abundantly, and are very grateful to domestic cattle, the herbage containing a large proportion of salt. (Eng. Flor. vol. ii. p. 200.)

ARROW-HEAD from sagitta, an arrow; because of the resemblance of the leaves to the head of that weapon)

(Sagittaria sagittifolia,

quantity for a family, one row across one of the plats will be sufficient." (Cobbett's Ame rican Gardener.)]

Those plants produce the finest heads which are planted in a soil abounding in moisture, but in such they will not survive the winter. Manure must be applied every spring, and the best compost for them is a mixture of three parts of well-putrefied dung, and one part of fine coal-ashes. They should always have an open exposure, and, above all, be free from the influence of trees; for, if beneath their shade or drip, the plants spindle, and produce worthless heads. For planting, these must be slipped off in March or early in April, when eight or ten inches in height, with as much of their fibrous roots pertaining as possible. Such of them should be selected as are sound and not woody. The brown, hard part, by which they are attached to the parent stem, must be removed; and if that cuts crisp and tender, it is evidence of the goodness of the plant; if it is tough and stringy, the plant is worthless. Further, to prepare them for planting, the large outside leaves are taken off so low, that the heart appears above them. If they have been some time separated from the stock, or if the weather is dry, they are greatly invigorated by being set in water for three or four hours before they are planted.

They produce heads the same year, from July to October, and will continue to do so annually, if preserved in succeeding years, from May until June or July; consequently, it is the practice, in order to obtain a supply during the remainder of the summer and autumn, to make an annual plantation in some moist soil, as the plants are not required to continue.

As often as a head is cut from the permanent bed, the stem must be broken down close to the root, to encourage the production of suckers before the arrival of winter. In November or December they should receive their winter's dressing. The old leaves being cut away without injuring the centre or side shoots, the ground must be dug over, and part of the mould thrown into a moderate ridge over each row, close about the plants, but leaving the hearts clear. If this dressing is neglected until severe frosts arrive, or even if it is performed, each plant must be closed round with long litter or pea haulm: it is, however, a very erroneous practice to apply stabledung immediately over the plants, previous to earthing them up, as it in general induces decay. Early in February all covering of this description must be removed. In March, or as soon as the shoots appear four or five inches above the surface, the ridges thrown up in the winter must be levelled, and all the earth removed from about the stock to below the part from whence the young shoots spring. All of these but two, or at most three of the straightest and most vigorous, must be removed, care being taken to select from those which proceed from the under part of the stock; the strong thick ones proceeding from its crown, having hard woody stems, are productive of indifferent heads. Those allowed to remain should be carefully preserved from injury. Every other

sucker must be removed and every bud rubbed off, otherwise more will be produced, to the detriment of those purposely left. These must be separated as far apart as possible without injury, the tops of the pendulous leaves removed, and the mould then returned, so as to cover the crowns of the stocks about two inches. Some gardeners recommend, as soon as the ground is levelled, a crop of spinach to be sown, which will be cleared off the ground before the artichokes cover it; but this mode of raising or stealing a crop is always in some degree injurious.

Although the artichoke, in a suitable soil, is a perennial, yet after the fourth or fifth year the heads become smaller and drier. The beds, in consequence, are usually broken up after the lapse of this period, and fresh ones formed on another side.

If any of the spring-planted suckers should not produce heads the same year, the leaves may be tied together and covered with earth, so as just to leave their tops visible, and, on the arrival of frost, being covered with litter, so as to preserve them, they will afford heads either during the winter or very early in spring.

As a vegetable, the artichoke is wholesome, but not very nourishing; and as a medicine, it is of little use. Sir John Hill, M. D., states having known patients cured of jaundice, by perseverance in this medicine alone, without combining its virtues with any other plant; but the statement of Sir J. Hill is of no value in the present day. The flowers of the artichoke have the property of rennet in curdling milk. The heads of the second crop of artichokes, when dried, are excellent baked in meat pies, with mushrooms, as they dress them in France. (G. W. Johnson's Kitchen Gar den.)

ARTICHOKE, JERUSALEM (Helianthus tuberosus, from 'Haus, the sun, and arbos, a flower). It flourishes most in a rich light soil, with an open enclosure. Trees are particularly inimical to its growth. As it never ripens its seeds in England, the only mode of propagation is by planting the middle-sized tubers or cuttings of the large ones, one or two eyes being preserved in each. These are best planted towards the end of March, though it may be performed as early as February, or even in October, and continued as late as the beginning of April.

They are planted by the dibble, in rows, three feet by two feet apart, and four inches deep. They make their appearance above ground about the middle of May. The only attention necessary is to keep them free from weeds, and an occasional hoeing to loosen the surface, a little of the earth being drawn up about the stems. Some gardeners, at the close of July or early in August, cut the stems off about their middle, to admit more freely the air and light; in other respects it may se beneficial to the tubers.

The tubers may be taken up as wanted du ing September; and in October, or as soon as the stems have withered, entire for preservation in sand, for winter's use. They should be raised as unbroken as possible, for the smallest piece of a tuber will vegetate, and appear