382 Peach-Growing 



Var. PLATYCARPA, Bailey (Flat peach). 



Persica platycarpa, Decne. 

 Var. NUCiPERSiCA, Schneid (Nectarine). 



Amygdalus Persica var. nucipersica, Linn. 



Persica nucipersica, Borkh. 



Persica Icevis, DC. 



Prunus Persica var. laems, Gray. 



Amygdalus nectarina, Ait. 



Prunus Persica var. necturina, Maxim. 



CLASSIFICATION OF PEACHES 



The earlier writers on the peach in America gave some 

 attention to classifying peach varieties ; but for the most part 

 it consisted in dividing them into two groups, the division 

 being based solely on the adhesion or non-adhesion of the 

 flesh to the pit, thus recognizing a "clingstone" group and a 

 "freestone" group. Such a division, though having its 

 practical and useful aspects, is entirely arbitrary, and shows 

 no natural relationships or lines of development, and this 

 character is not constant in all cases. As a logical system 

 of classification, grouping on this basis has long since ceased 

 to be considered, but as indicated it has practical value and 

 in this direction Mackintosh ^ has developed the scheme of 

 grouping farther than any one else. He uses other physical 

 characteristics as well as adhesion of flesh to pit, including 

 color of flesh and season of ripening. He recognizes three 

 main sections, freestones, clingstones, and semi-clingstones. 

 Each of these sections is separated into two divisions based 

 on color of flesh, varieties with white or creamy flesh and 

 those with yellow flesh. In turn, each of these divisions is 

 subdivided on the basis of season of ripening, varieties that 

 1 An. Kept. Pa. State Col. for 1910-1911, pp. 569-588. 



