Peach Varieties, Botany and Classification 387 



North China race. 



This race consists of the Chinese Cling variety, which 

 appears to be the original member of this group introduced 

 into the United States, and its progeny. The name " Chinese 

 Cling Group " has been proposed by Powell ^ as a more appro- 

 priate designation for this group, and it has some advantages 

 as does the name "Honey" race as a substitute for the name 

 "South China" race. 



Onderdonk states : " This race as far as we have become 

 acquainted with it, consists of the Chinese Cling and its 

 numerous progeny." 



Powell has given a rather full account of the development 

 of this race in America, as follows : 



"There have been two principal importations from the 

 Orient from which the American varieties have largely 

 descended. The first, as far as we can learn, was in the form 

 of potted peach trees, probably imported by the late Charles 

 Downing, in 1850, through Mr. Winchester, the British 

 consul at Shanghai, China. The variety was received under 

 the names of 'Chinese Cling' and 'Shanghai,' and each 

 name was supposed for a time to represent a distinct variety, 

 but where grown side by side they proved to be identical. 

 The variety was probably first fruited by Mr. Henry Lyon, 

 Laurel Park, S. C, to whom one of the original potted trees 

 was sent by Mr. Downing in 1850.^ The Chinese Cling ^ 

 under the name Shanghai also fruited in 1850 with R. Choate, 

 near Boston, and was exhibited in September of that year 



1 Del. Expt. Sta. Bull. 54, "The Chinese Cling Group of Peaches." 

 * For a fuller account of the early importation of the variety see 



the Horticulturist, 1855, pp. 286, 472 ; Downing's "Fruits and Fruit 

 Trees," 1857, under the varieties Chinese Cling and Shanghai; 

 Proc. Am. Pom. Soc. 1858, Discussion of Peaches. 



2 Hovey's Mag. Hort., 1851, p. 475. 



