CHINESE PEACHES. 



383 



what would appear, from the outline and 

 the stones, to be a new, very distinct, and 

 desirable species of peach. 



We find in the Transadiojis of the Horti- 

 cultural Society, of London, an article pre- 

 pared by LiNDLEY, on the fruits known in 

 China, from which we copy the following 

 very interesting paragraph : 



" Of Peach trees, there are three princi- 

 pal kinds ; the Dioarf peaches, the Peach 

 Bushes, and the Tree Peaches ; of each of 

 which, there is a vast variety of sorts. The 

 two first, are principally esteemed for their 

 flowers, and as objects of ornament. The 

 Tree peaches are what the Chinese culti- 

 vate for the sake of their fruit ; and some 

 of them grow to the height of 40 or 50 feet ; 

 but these latter seem to be of a particular 

 kind, and the fruit is of middling quality. 

 In favorable seasons, the markets of Pekin 

 abound in the greatest variety of peaches ; 

 some of which arrive at prodigious size, 

 being much larger than they are in France. 

 The Chinese gardeners speak of fruit weigh- 

 ing two pounds ; and Marco Polo asserts 

 that he has seen them of that size in the 

 district of Cang-chew. The largest, how- 

 ever, which the French Missionaries at Pe- 

 kin, ever saw, were about three inches 

 and a half long, and three inches broad. 

 These large varieties are very beautiful, but 

 their taste is generally inferior to their ap- 

 pearance. Those, however, of Saing-chou, 

 (a villa of the Emperor's) equal the most 

 melting and delicious of Europe ; more es- 

 pecially one sort, which is late and of indif- 

 ferent appearance, but of an exquisite fla- 

 vor. The varieties are classed according 

 to the form, colour, size, and time of ripen- 

 ing of the fruit. Some have a green flesh, 

 others white, pale yellow, orange, and mar- 

 bled ; iheir form is flat, round, oval, or pro- 

 duced on one side into a beak, which again 



is either curved or straight. The garden- 

 ers possess the secret of preserving fruit 

 gathered in October, until January, and with 

 all the beauty, freshness, and flavour, which 

 it possessed when first taken from the tree. 

 Although well acquainted with the Euro- 

 pean method, they prefer budding theirfine 

 kinds upon stocks raised from seeds of the 

 best varieties." 



One of the greatest curiosities, among 

 the many kinds of this most excellent fruit, 

 is the "Flat Peach of China." {Fig. 92.) 



Fig. 92. The Flat Peach of China. 



This variety was introduced into England, 

 some years ago, from China, and is enu- 

 merated in the Catalogue of the London 

 Horticultural Society's Garden ; but we be- 

 lieve no one has yet succeeded in introduc- 

 ing it into this country — spurious sorts hav- 

 ing once or twice been received under this 

 name. We have no doubt, however, that 

 some of our zealous collectors of new fruits, 

 if they have not already yet correctly re- 

 ceived it, will do so, the coming spring. 

 This curious fruit rnust be well known in 



