226 THE PEACH. 



far North as Boston, northward of which it usually fails. It 

 is well adapted to all the Southern States, except in some low 

 maritime districts. Throughout the Southwestern and most 

 of the Western States, it flourishes and attains its greatest per- 

 fection, growing spontaneously in fence corners, on road sides 

 and lanes. 



This delicious fruit is never raised in England, and not 

 generally in. France, without the aid of walls. China and the 

 temperate portions of the United States are, therefore, the 

 only countries where the peach and apple attain their highest 

 perfection in the open orchard. The peaches of some parts 

 of China are said to be the finest in the world, and of double 

 the usual size. "It is worthy of remark," says a good writer, 

 "that the peach tree seems to hold very much the same place 

 in the ancient Chinese writings, that the tree of knowledge of 

 the old Scriptures, and the golden Hesperides apples of the 

 heathens do in the early history of western nations. The 

 traditions of a peach tree, the fruit of which, when eaten, 

 conferred immortality, and which bore only once in a thousand 

 years — and of another peach tree of knowledge, which existed 

 in the most remote period on a mountain guarded by a hun- 

 dred demons, the fruit of which produced death, are said 

 to be distinctly preserved in some of the early Chinese wri- 

 tings. Whatever may have been the nature of these extra- 

 ordinary trees, it is certain that, as Lord Bacon says, 'not a 

 slip or sucker has been left behind.' We must, therefore, 

 content ourselves with the delight A\hich a fine peach of mod- 

 ern times affords the palate and the eye." 



The facility of raising the peach from the seed, remarks a 

 modern writer, has probably tended to its general diffusion 

 throughout the world. This fruit has steadily followed the 

 progress of civilization; and man, from China to Peru, has 

 surrounded himself with the luxury of this and other stone- 

 fruits, very soon after he has begun to taste the blessings of a 

 settled life. There are still spots where ignorance prevents 

 portions of mankind from enjoying the blessings which Prov- 

 idence has everywhere ordained for industry; and there are 

 others where tyranny forbids the earth to be cultivated and 



