248 PRUNUS 



smooth; stalk . glandular, ^ in. long. Flowers usually solitary, sometimes in 

 pairs, produced in early April from the buds of the previous season's growth, 

 pale rose, I to i ins. across, with stalks scarcely longer than the bud-scales. 

 Fruit fleshy, globose, clothed with velvety down, 2 to 3 ins. across, yellowish 

 suffused with red on the sunny side, enclosing a grooved stone. 



The peach is one of those fruits which have been cultivated for so long, 

 and over so wide an area, that its place of origin is doubtful. It is generally 

 believed to be a native of China ; it was certainly cultivated there hundreds, 

 doubtless thousands, of years before it was known in W. Europe. Closely 

 allied to the almond, but less robust, it differs chiefly in its fleshy, juicy fruit 

 with a wrinkled stone ; also in the thinner, shorter-stalked leaves, smaller 

 flowers, and in flowering two or three weeks later. The flowering peaches 

 are some of the loveliest of all trees, especially the double red varieties. 

 They are usually propagated by budding on plum stocks, but trees so raised 

 rarely attain to great age. Quite possibly the peach is not in any case a long- 

 lived tree, but worked on the plum it is very subject to canker and premature 

 decay, owing to an imperfect adaptation of stock to scion. Yet it is difficult 

 to suggest a better. On its own roots the peach succeeds 'in the south, but 

 is too tender for the colder localities, and the fine double and richly coloured 

 varieties now so popular can only be conveniently propagated by budding or 

 grafting. Of varieties grown for fruit there are many, but with them we are 

 not here concerned. The following, with the exception of vars. compressa and 

 laevis, are "flowering" peaches ; the double-flowered ones often bear fruit : 



Var. COMPRESSA. Flat Peach. Remarkable for the flattened or com- 

 pressed fruits. This was known in gardens eighty years ago, and after being 

 lost to cultivation for many years was reintroduced from China in 1906. 



Var. FLORE ALBO. Flowers white, single. 



Var. FLORE ALBO PLENO. Flowers white, double. 



Var. FLORE ROSEO PLENO. Flowers rose-coloured, double. 



Var. FLORE SANGUINED PLENO. Flowers crimson, double. Introduced 

 from China by Fortune. 



Var. FOLIIS RUi'.RIS. Leaves and fruits purplish red. 



Var. L^EVis. Nectarine. Fruit smooth. 



Var. MAGNIFICA. Flowers crimson, double, up to if ins. across ; habit 

 rather spreading and lax. (Garden, pi. 1255, Dec. 30, 1899.) 



Var. PENDULA. Branches pendulous. 



Var. PYRAMIDALIS. Branches quite erect. 



Double-flowered peaches have been known in European gardens for three 

 centuries, and several others besides those mentioned are offered by nursery- 

 men, such as " Clara Meyer," dianthiflora, camelliaeflora, etc. They represent 

 only minor variations. All the varieties like a warm soil and sheltered posi- 

 tion, and their effect in bloom is enhanced by a background of evergreens. 



P. PROSTRATA, Labillardiere. MOUNTAIN CHERRY. 



(Cerasus prostrata, Loiseleur.} 



A deciduous shrub, 2 to 3 ft. high, of low, spreading habit, and measuring 

 much more in width than it does in height. Branches slender, arching 

 outwards and downwards, the young ones covered with a minute dark-coloured 

 down. Leaves ovate or obovate, pointed, from i to \\ ins. long, sharply 

 toothed, and downy beneath (less markedly so in cultivation 11 . Flowers ^ to 5 

 in. across, produced singly or in pairs with the young leaf-clusters from the 

 previous season's shoots in April ; very short-stalked ; petals of a lively rose 

 colour ; calyx tubular. Fruit almost stalkless, red, \ in. long, tapering 

 towards the end. 



