272 A DESCRIPTION OF THE STANWICK NECTARINE. 



XLII.^ — A description of the Stamvick Nectarine. By Mr. 

 Robert Thompson, Superintendent of the Orchard and Kitchen 

 Garden Department in the Society's Garden. 



Fruit of this new and extraordinary production was received 

 August 29, 1846, from the Right Hon. Lord Prudhoe, in whose 

 garden at Stanwick Park it had ripened. His Lordship obtained 

 the variety from stones given him by Mr. Barker, formerly 

 Her Majesty's Vice-Consul at Aleppo, and now residing near 

 Suedia, or Souadiah, in Syria, whose favourable climate is pecu- 

 liarly suitable for the cultivation of Asiatic and European fruits. 

 A year or two since Mr. Barker brought to this country, amongst 

 other things, peaches and nectarines with sweet kernels. Such 

 varieties were previously unknown in Europe, and were probably 

 never heard of till their existence was announced by Mr. Barker. 



The Nectarine forming the subject of this notice is about the 

 size of an Elruge, and like it in shape, except in being less heart- 

 shaped at the base. Its skin is pale, like that of the White 

 Nectarine, where shaded, with a violet tinge next the sun. 

 The flesh is white, exceedingly tender, juicy, rich, and sugary, 

 without the slightest trace of the flavour of prussic acid. The 

 stone is middle-sized, ovate, with rather a prominent sharp edge, 

 very rugged, and of a chocolate colour. The kernel is sweet, 

 like a nut, possessing nothing of the bitter-almond flavour. 



The fruit of the Peach and Nectarine, partaking so much as 

 it does of the qualities of the bitter Almond, must have been 

 very deleterious in its unimproved state. Mr. Knight, who 

 himself succeeded in producing a melting Peach from an 

 Almond, figured Hart. Trans., vol. iii., p. 1, states that the 

 Tuheres of Pliny must have been swollen Almonds, or imperfect 

 peaches ; and Duhamel has given an account of a fruit which 

 accurately corresponds with this description, being sometimes 

 produced by a variety of Almond-tree in France. Mr. Knight 

 adds : — 



" The bitterness, in this case, I conclude can only arise from 

 the presence of the prussic acid ; and as this acid, without being 

 extracted by distillation, operates very injuriously upon many 

 constitutions, some explanation appears to be given of the cause 

 why the Peacli was reported to possess deleterious qualities when 

 it first came from Persia into the Roman empire." 



" Stipantur calatlii et pomis, quce harbara Persis 

 Miserat (utfama est) patriis armata venenis." 



Columella, lib. 10. 



The varieties of the Peach and Nectarine now generally culti- 

 vated retain but little of the injurious properties ascribed to the 

 species by ancient authors ; and, when well ripened, they can 



