206 THE GARDENER. [July 



Sweetwater or Foster's Seedling. "Where mere appearance is appre- 

 ciated in preference to flavour, the two last-named may perhaps be 

 preferable. 



The popular early forcing Peaches have been, and are still to a great 

 extent, Royal George, Abec, Early York, Stirling Castle, &c. No doubt 

 these varieties have answered the purpose of early forcers well, and 

 they are good when ripe, and until recently have been found among 

 the quickest to arrive at a state of maturity. They are now, however, 

 completely out-distanced for earliness by such varieties as Early Louisa, 

 Early Beatrice, Hales's Early, and Early Rivers. But we fear the two 

 first-named are too small ever to become so acceptable as they otherwise 

 would be. Hales's Early is a large, fine-flavoured, handsome Peach. On 

 these points there cannot be objections raised against it. Its earliness 

 is very remarkable. We have before us a ripe handsome fruit of it 

 from a Peach-house at Chatsworth. From the warmest end of the 

 same house we have, for comparison, a fruit of Elruge Nectarine, and 

 from the middle tree of the house, a fruit of Royal George Peach. 

 The difference is more remarkable than in any similar comparison we 

 have ever seen. Neither the Peach nor Nectarine from the warmest 

 end of the house have finished the stoning period, while Hales's Early 

 Peach is perfectly ripe, juicy, and luscious. The valuable qualities of 

 Hales's Early Peach for early forcing and ripening is thus most strik- 

 ingly manifested, as against one of the most popular early Peaches of 

 the older class. We believe that Early Rivers is a Peach equally early, 

 rich in flavour, and of large size. There can be no doubt that, 

 Avhatever may be the fate of the lesser -sized early Peaches, Early 

 Rivers and Hales's Early will take a prominent position in the supply 

 of early Peaches. 



What is now wanted to match these two early Peaches is a Nectarine 

 that will ripen nearly about the same time. For long Elruge Nec- 

 tarine has held a first position as a fine forcing variety, and most 

 deservedly so. It is a fine high-coloured sort, and a sure cropper. 

 Hunt's Tawny is, of course, an earlier but not so good a Nectarine 

 otherwise. It strikes us from what we have seen of Lord Napier that 

 it must ultimately take a high position as an early Nectarine. It 

 ripens about a fortnight before Hunt's Tawny, and (Lord Napier) is 

 perhaps the largest Nectarine in existence, and is excellent in quality ; 

 but how it will stand forcing from the end of November onwards 

 through the winter has not, so far as we are aware, been yet well 

 tested. As a midseason fruit it is one of the most free, and it is 

 reasonable to suppose that it will also succeed for winter forcing. 



In all seasons early ripening varieties of fruits are of much import- 

 ance, and they have perhaps never been more so than this year, when 

 early forcing has been found more of an uphill business than perhaps 

 for half a century. Any information that can be conveyed or received 

 on this important matter cannot fail to be both useful and interesting, 



