Anmial Meeting at St. Jose2)li. 163 



THE KEXT PA PEE WAS ON THE PEACH AND ITS 



ENEMIES. 



BY J. A. DUKKES, WESTON, MO. 



The j)each tree is a native of Central Asia ; in Northern India 

 tlie peach and nectarine are found in a wild state. Among the 

 Himalaya mountains they thrive at elevations from five to six 

 thousand feet. 



The Romans believed) it to be a native of Persia, and the fruit 

 Malum Persicum (apples of Persia) and from this word the name 

 for the fruit has been derived into most European languages. 



Many botanists classify the peach and almond as one species, 

 claiming the latter to be the parent of the former, becoming im- 

 proved by careful selection from time to time of seeds until it has 

 become the delicious fruit of the present day. In scripture many 

 passages refer to the almond tree, its nut and flowers, but the peach 

 as a fruit seems to have been unknown. 



The earliest allusions to it, we have on record, are by Con- 

 fucius, who speaks of it thus : 



"How beautiful and pleasant is the peach tree, how blooming 

 and profuse is its foliage." 



The Romans introduced the jjeach into Italy during the earlier 

 period of the first century, aijd it is supposed, soon after, into the 

 Isles of Briton, though we have only the first authentic mention of 

 it about the middle of the sixteenth century. Seeds were brought to 

 America by the colonies at an early period. Old 'records mention 

 that stones were ordered by the governor and company of 

 Massachusetts Bay in 1C29. 



The Spaniards brought seeds with them and disseminated the 

 stones throughout their colonies. 



A writer speaking of the peach trees in Louisiana and other 

 southern colonies about the year 1750, says : " They grow 

 spontaneously, and in many resj^ects, seem as if they were 

 indigenous. The nuts are sown, no care is bestowed, except 

 weeding for a year or two ; in four years they commence bearing, 

 and continue to produce fruit for twenty or thirty years. These 

 plantations grow with such luxuriance, that the orchards almost 

 resemble forests." 



