THE PEACH 



By general consent the Peach ranks as the most lus- 

 cious of tree fruits. Like the strawberry — the most 

 luscious of small fruits — its season is comparatively 

 short and the melting quality of its flesh prevents it 

 from being kept long, even in cold storage. The fact 

 that areas adapted to Peach growing are restricted on 

 account of the tenderness of bud and tree to frost and 

 cold also helps to make the fruit a luxury for the summer 

 season, though fortunately the fruit is easily preserved 

 and forms an important feature of the canned fruit 

 industry. 



While five rather distinct types of Peaches are grown 

 in North America, most if not all of them are believed 

 to have been derived from the Peach of history — a tree 

 grown from time immemorial in Persia, and probably 

 existing originally as a wild species in China, Asia, or 

 other regions. Most of the varieties in the United 

 States are of the Persian type grown in Europe for 

 centuries, but a few like the pointed Honey Peach and 

 the fiat Peen-to Peach, which are grown locally in the 

 south, have come directly from China in recent years. 

 Special interest attaches to the Cobler and some other 

 varieties grown commonly in the south: these are de- 

 rived from wild peach trees found when the southwestern 

 states were settled by the colonists from the eastern 

 states. These wild trees are believed to have originated 

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