114 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



I April, 



some fifty yenrs npo. Grown by Mr. Sonor, 

 Lancaster, Pa.; si)coinien received from Mr. S. 

 S. Kathvon, Lancaster, Pa. 



[This apple havinj^ originated ahout German- 

 town, Mr. Stayman's paper has been very 

 kindly placed at our disposal by Prof. Rathvoii, 

 instead of usiiifj: it in his own Lancasfer Farnu^ — 

 a courtesy we highly appreciate. Wo may take 

 occasion to say that the Lancaster Farnur, thou<;h 

 unfortunately with the local name of " Lancas- 

 ter " appended to it, is not merely a local paper, 

 but is at least equal in general value to any agri- 

 cultural paper that comes to our table. — Ed. 

 G. M.l 



THE SICILIAN NUT. 



BY MR. T. G. VEOMANS, WALWORTH, N. Y. 



Several years since, we imported plants of the 

 Barcelona or Sicily Filbert, which have fruited 

 for several years, producing nuts of large size 

 and good qualify. (We have no plants of it to 

 sell.) Our experience with the Early Wilson 

 Blackberry is, that in severe Winters it kills to 

 the snow, and the crop is a failure for that sea- 

 son ; while the Kittatinny, in eame field, and 

 under same circumstances, produces abundant 

 crops. 



EXQUISITE PEACH. 



BY P. J. BERCKMANS, AUGUSTA, GA. 



This variety which has lately been highly men- 

 tioned in Encland, was produced by Mr. A. 

 De Caradeue, of Montmorcnci, S. C, to whom 

 ■we are also indebted for that very valuable plum 

 which bears his name. About l<S58or 1859, 1 sent 

 trees of many of our best Southern peaches to 

 Mr. Rivers, and among the nuinber was the Ex- 

 quisite, which I am pleased to see so much ap- 

 preciated in England. This peach was doubtless 

 a seedling of Early Crawford, Mhich it surpasses 

 in quality. On page G12 of " Downing's Fruits 

 and Fruit Trees of America," it is fully de- 

 scribed. In Georgia its period of maturity is 

 middle of July, a season when we have the 

 greatest profusion of our best varieties of mid- 

 season, and as the Exquisite Peach did not pos- 

 sess extraordinary merits above those of scores 

 of other varieties maturing with it, it has never 

 been grown to any extent. 



While upon the subject of peaches, I will men- 



tion that the mysterious disease which troubled 

 the trees of the correspondent of Our Home 

 Journal, was quite general throughout the South, 

 and was purely owing to climatic influences. 

 The Winter of 1875-0 was <niusually mild, there 

 being scarcely sufhcient frost to keep the sap 

 dormant. Peach trees were making contiinial 

 efforts to expand their blossoms from December 

 1st, and their economy was upset. The severe 

 frost of end of March caught our trees in full 

 vegetation, and injured many to such an extent 

 as to cause the effect described. We had the 

 most extraordinary occurrence here of a num- 

 ber of trees of Hale's Early, covered with peaches 

 the size of a walnut, but without a idngle leaf, this 

 as late as 10th of May, and most singular, per- 

 fectly matured specimens of'9J inches were 

 gathered from these trees on June 10th. 



At this date, February 12th, my trees of the 

 Pren To, or flat peach of China, are in full bloom, 

 and with half-grown leaves. Some of the semi- 

 double crimson sub-varieties are very beautiful. 

 Of tliis strain there are some fourteen sub-varie- 

 ties, some of very dwarf habit of growth quite 

 similar to the Italian dwarf, but with double 

 crimson flowers; others attain a growth similar 

 to our ordinary kinds, some with double, others 

 with large single flowers. The habit of blooming 

 in January has so far prevented the maturing of 

 any of their fruit; it usually drops when half 

 grown. As described by Downing, the fruit is 

 perfectly flat. Our friends in Australia, when 

 sending the pits some years ago, stated that this 

 strain contained both freestone and cling-stone 

 varieties, and in the colony of Queensland is 

 almost an evergreen. In this section it is un- 

 suited for open ground culture, but well worthy 

 a trial in orchard houses. 



EXQUISITE PEACH. 



BY CHARLES DOWNING, NEWBT7RGH, N. Y. 



I have not seen the fruit, nor any notice of ita 

 having fruited in this country ; but Dr. Robert 

 Hogg, of England, in the new edition of his 

 "Fruit Manual," 1875, gives a full description of 

 it, and concludes by saying, " This is a noble 

 peach, and one of delicious flavor ; it w!is raised 

 in Georgia, U. S. A., and introduced to this 

 Country by Mr. Rivers. It ripens in the middle 

 of September." This variety was probably sent 

 to Mr. Rivers by P. J. Berckmans, of Georgia, 

 and if so, he can give an account of the origin. 



