246 The l*eac?i : Cuivous facts in its Wstorj^. 



sold Ives at the rate of three hundred dollars per acre, and Concords at two hundred 

 and forty ! 



But to close this brief grape talk, I will merely add that there is nothing else yet 

 found that equals, for a rich, delicious American wine, the old Delaware — for a wine 

 that the most exacting of wine tastes could find no fault with. But it is in the sale 

 of fruit after all that the fruit grower will find his greatest profit — and for this 

 nothing will excel the Concord and Ives. — James Parker, in Rural Alahainian. 



The Peach. : Curious facts in its History. 



A CORRESPONDENT of the Maryland Farmer, after speaking of the magni- 

 tude of the peach interests of Maryland and Delaware, their advantages for its 

 culture and the superior excellence of the fruit grown in those States, goes on to 

 relate some interesting facts in connection with the history of this favorite fruit : 



" It is a curious fact in the history of the Peach, that whilst it is a native of 

 Persia and China, and was brought first to Italy in the time of the Emperor Claudius, 

 and was considerably cultivated in Britain as early as 1550, and was introduced to 

 this country by the early settlers nearly two hundred years ago ; yet it is to a skill- 

 ful and intelligent orchardist of England of the present day, with her unpropitious 

 clime, that the American cultivator is indebted for the production of more valuable 

 new varieties than he has received from any other source. Mr. Thomas Rivers, of 

 . Sawbridgeworth, Herts, England, has six acres of land under glass, devoted to the 

 cultivation of Grapes, Plums, Apricots, Nectarines, and a very large proportion to the 

 cultivation of Peaches, These fruits are cultivated for the London markets, and are 

 produced by him in great perfection, and command almost fabulous prices. Mr. 

 Rivers, having his whole orchards of these fruits under glass, can control his oper- 

 ations in the production of new varieties without disturbance from storms or insects ; 

 the blossoms on every tree being entirely subject to his management, he can work 

 understandincly, and make hybridous varieties, at his pleasure, without risk of ex- 

 traneous influence. The few new varieties produced in this country are the result 

 of accident, the pollen being carried either by storm or insects from one variety to 

 another, and the seed of the Peach from this bloom thus impregnated, has by chance, 

 produced a tree. This rarely occurs, and when it does, the fruit is probably 

 like something that we have already, or not as good as the original, without any 

 change in the time of ripening. 



" Mr. Rivers has been engaged in this business nearly twenty years, and has pro- 

 duced a number of new varieties. The Salway, a very superior late Peach, now 

 generally cultivated, and very highly esteemed by growers and packers of fruit, was 

 produced by him, besides several other varieties of superior excellence of quality. 

 But the peach-growers of this country are more interested in, and will be more par- 

 ticularly indebted to him, for his success in producing an early variety that is 

 intrinsically good, than for one however good, that ripens in niidseason. 



" In the Beatrice we have the result of his hybridizing his very superior Early 

 Silver Peach, with the new White Nectarine, and it is all that the grower can desire 



