176 SYSTEMATIC POMOLOGY 



seems best, under the circumstances, to give 

 only one of these outlines here, and doubt- 

 less the latest one can be properly offered. 

 This divides the cultivated varieties into five 

 natural groups, named and characterized as 

 follows : 



1. Persian Group (or typical peaches). These are 

 round, more or less pointed, marked with an indis- 

 tinct suture; flesh yellow or white, and characteris- 

 tically soft and juicy; pits roundish or elliptical, 

 pointed, deeply corrugated, mostly clinging to the 

 flesh or only partially free. This group includes all 

 the commonest old-fashioned varieties, such as the 

 Crawfords, Oldmixon, Alexander, Amsden, Salway, 

 etc. 



2. Chinese Cling Group. Trees broad-headed, open, 

 spreading or even drooping, usually very vigorous, 

 hardy, and prolific; foliage large, flat, almond-like, 

 dark green, retaining its color late in the fall, when it 

 changes to a grayish-green tint; glands reniform in 

 the pure type; flowers very large, light pink in the 

 pure type, but smaller and darker colored in some of 

 the mixed descendants; fruit large, often enormously 

 so, generally long oval and compressed, creamy white, 

 with a delicate blush in the pure type, but white or 

 yellow in the mixed descendants; skin very delicate 

 and thin in the pure type, with^a delicate marbled or 

 stippled appearance, but firmer in many of the recent 

 varieties; flesh fine grained, soft, juicy melting in 

 the pure type, but firmer in mixed descendents ; 



