304 VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. 



almond into a peach, it does so in great part, by 

 shewing; that only the pollen is necessary to effect 

 such a change. 



The Flat Peach of China is perhaps the most sin- 

 gular of the peach tribe. The size of it resembles 

 that of the apple ; and the stalk and eye approach 

 so near as to give it the appearance of a ring of flesh, 

 with a stone in the middle. The following descrip- 

 tion accompanied specimens presented to the Horti- 

 cultural Society by Mr. Braddick: — 



" This fruit is of truly singular form, and perhaps 

 will be best described as having the appearance of a 

 peach flattened by pressure at the head and stalk ; its 

 upright diameter, taken through the centre, from eye 

 to stalk, being eleven sixteenths of an inch, consisting 

 wholly of the stone, except the skin; that of its sides 

 is one inch and one-eighth, its transverse diameter 

 being two inches and a half The head of the fruit 

 is crooked in such a manner, as to look like a broad 

 and rather hollow eye of an irregular and five-angled 

 (or lobed) shape, surrounded by the appearance of 

 the remains of the leaves of a calyx : the whole sur- 

 face of this eye is roughly marked with small irregular 

 warted lines, like the crown of a medlar. The colour 

 of the skin of the fruit is pale yellow, mottled, or 

 rather speckled with red on the part exposed to the 

 sun, and covered with a fine down. The flesh is 

 pale yellow, having a beautiful radiated circle of fine 

 red surrounding the stone, and extending far into the 

 fruit. The stone is flatly compressed, small, rough, 

 and irregular. The consistence and flavour of tlie 

 flesh is that of a good melting peach, being sweet 

 and juicy, with a little noyau flavour, or bitter aroma. 

 This peach is cultivated in China, representations of 

 it being continually seen on the papers and drawings 

 received from that country ; and it is well known at 

 Canton, where it is esteemed as a good fruit." 



