AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



427 



Nectarine continued. 



tion, are best kept down by a frequent use of the syringe, 

 or, better still, the garden engine, and by the damping 

 of the soil, more especially near hot-water pipes. Ear- 

 wigs and Ants are at times most destructive to ripe 

 fruits ; the former may be trapped in hollow pieces of 

 beanstalk, placed amongst the branches, and the Ants 

 may be greatly reduced by frequently disturbing their 

 nests, and pouring water or dusting a little soot amongst 

 them. See also Peach. 



Sorts. Nectarines and Peaches cannot, as a rule, be 

 properly distinguished by the appearance and flavour of 

 the fruit alone ; consequently, other characteristics, ob- 

 servable in the different varieties, are adopted by pomo- 

 logists, to form classes into which the whole number 

 may, according to their several distinctions, be placed. 

 The chief characters on which the classes are founded 

 are : (1) the size of the flowers ; (2) the fact of the 

 fruit having a melting flesh, and parting freely from 

 the stone, or a firm flesh which adheres to the stone ; 

 (3) the absence or presence of glands at the base of 

 the leaf, or on the petiole (their shape being given 

 in the latter case), and on the leaves being either 

 serrated or crenated. Varieties with free, melting flesh, 

 are termed Freestone, and those with firm flesh are 

 classed as Clingstone. The former are far more nume- 

 rous than, and superior to, the latter, which, in conse- 

 quence, are not much cultivated. An entire fruit, and 

 also a section with the stone left intact, of a Clingstone 



FIG. 661. CLINGSTONE NECTARINE. 



Nectarine, are represented in Fig. 661. The flesh adheres 

 to the stone by the stringy-like substance shown in the 

 illustration. It is also similar in fruits of Clingstone 

 Peaches. The different shapes of glands, and the size of 

 the flowers, termed respectively "large" and "small," 

 are, at times, so near alike as only to be with difficulty 

 distinguished from each other. The following is a selec- 

 tion of the best and most esteemed Nectarines, all of 

 them belonging to the Freestone class. 



Albert. Flowers large. Fruit very large, roundish, ripening 

 early in September ; flesh yellow, pale red near the stone, of 

 excellent flavour ; skin greenish- white, pale red next the sun. 

 Leaves crenate, with kidney-shaped glands. A fine variety, re- 

 quiring a warm position, or glass protection. 



Albert Victor. Flowers small. Fruit large, flattened at the 

 crown, and mottled with red next the sun, ripening outside 

 about the middle of September ; flesh juicy, and of brisk flavour, 

 very red near the stone. Glands round. 



Balgowan. Flowers small. Fruit very large, broadest at the 

 base, dark red next the sun, pale green, mottled with dull red 

 on the shaded side, ripening at the beginning of September ; 

 flesh rich and melting. Leaves crenate ; glands kidney-shaped. 

 A remarkably vigorous and hardy variety. 



Byron. Flowers very large. Fruit large, roundish, rich orange- 

 yellow, mottled crimson, tender, and richly flavoured, ripening 

 outside from the middle to the latter end of September. Leaves 

 with kidney-shaped glands. 



Downton. Flowers small. Fruit large, roundish-oval, deep red 

 on the exposed side, ripening in August and early in September ; 

 flesh pale green, melting, juicy, and rich. Leaves crenate ; 

 glands kidney-shaped. A vigorous-growing and good bearing 

 variety. 



Elruge. Flowers small. Fruit of medium size, roundish or some- 

 what oval, dark violet-red next the sun, pale green in the shade, 



Nectarine continued. 



covered with small brownish specks, ripens outside in August 

 and at the beginning of September; flesh whitish, melting, and 

 of the highest class flavour. Glands kidney-shaped. One of the 

 best Nectarines in cultivation. It is an abundant bearer, and, 

 perhaps, the best of all for forcing. STANWICK ELU.UGE is a large 

 Nectarine, of excellent flavour, raised from Elruge and Stanwick. 

 The fruits are exactly like those of the last-named parent, and 

 are ripe about the same time, or a little earlier, than Elruge. 



Hardwicke. Flowers large. Fruit very large, nearly round, 

 dark purplish -red next the sun, ripening in August; flesh 

 greenisn, with reddish tinge next the stone, of excellent 

 flavour. Leaves serrated, without glands. A hardy, free-bearing 

 variety. 



Humboldt. Flowers large. Fruit large, with pointed apex, 

 bright orange-yellow, streaked and mottled with crimson on the 

 exposed side, ripening at the latter part of August; flesh 

 orange colour, tender, and richly flavoured. Glands round. A 

 fine free-bearing variety of the Orange Nectarines. 



Hunt's Tawny. Flowers small. Fruit medium, or rather 

 small, pale orange, deeply coloured next the sun, marked with 

 small russety specks, ripening about the middle of August ; flesh 

 deep yellow or orange, red next the stone, melting and juicy. 

 Leaves serrated, glandless. A useful early variety, of hardy 

 constitution. 



Lord Napier. Flowers large. Fruit very large, ovate, depressed 

 son colour on every part 



. 

 at the apex, of a deep very dark crimson 



exposed, ripening outside early in August ; flesh white, ten'der, 

 and of a rich and excellent flavour. Glands kidney - shaped. 

 This is one of the largest and best, and, withal, the earliest 

 variety of Nectarine. It was raised by Mr. Rivers, of Saw- 

 bridge worth. 



Newton. Flowers small. Fruit large, bright red or greenish- 

 yellow, mottled according to exposure, ripening in September ; 

 flesh nearly white, richly flavoured. Glands kidney-shaped. A 

 handsome variety. 



Pitmaston Orange. Flowers large. Fruit large, terminating 

 at the apex in a small swollen point or nipple, deep orange, 

 purplish-red next the sun, streaked, ripening at the end of 

 August and in September ; flesh deep yellow or orange, juicy and 

 rich. Leaves crenated ; glands round. The tree is free-bearing 

 and hardy. PINEAPPLE is an excellent and improved variety, 

 with a much richer flavour, ripening early in September ; it 

 was raised from Pitmaston Orange by Mr. Rivers, and is one of 

 the best Nectarines grown. 



Prince of Wales. Flowers small. Fruit very large, greenish- 

 yellow, deep red on the exposed side, ripening in the middle or 

 latter part of September ; flesh whitish, red next the stone, 

 melting, and of rich flavour. Glands round. A fine, rather late 

 variety, requiring a warm situation. 



Rivers's White. Flowers large. Fruit large, roundish, nearly 

 white, covered with a fine bloom, ripening at the end of August ; 

 flesh white, of excellent flavour. Leaves crenate ; glands kidney- 

 shaped. Raised by Mr. Rivers from the old White Nectarine, 

 which it still resembles somewhat. 



Spencer. Flowers large. Fruit large, flattened, dark crimson all 

 over, deeper on the exposed side, ripening about the middle of 

 September; flesh stained with red almost throughout, melting, 

 and richly flavoured. Glands round. 



Stanwick. Flowers large. Fruit large, roundish oval, pale 

 green, purplish-red where exposed, ripening in the middle and 

 latter part of September ; flesh white, tender, juicy, and rich. 

 Leaves crenated ; glands kidney-shaped. The stone has a sweet 

 kernel like that of a nut. A fine variety. The tree does not 

 succeed well, except under glass protection. 



Victoria. Flowers small. Fruit similar in flavour, and in several 

 other respects, to the Stanwick, but the kernels are bitter; 

 it ripens about the end of August, nearly a month earlier than 

 Stanwick, and does not crack like that variety. Leaves crenate ; 

 glands kidney-shaped. A valuable Nectarine, and one of the 

 best. Raised by Mr. Rivers. 



Violette Hatlve. Flowers small. Fruit large, roundish, dark 

 purplish-red, marked with pale brown spots next the sun ; flesh 

 whitish, deep red near the stone, melting, juicy, and rich, ripen- 

 ing outside at the end of August and early in Septemiber. 

 Leaves crenate ; glands kidney-shaped. One of the very best 

 varieties, either for forcing or outside culture. It has numerous 

 synonyms, including Aromatic, Brugnon Hatif, Early Violet, 

 Hampton Court, Lord 86186/8 Elruge, Violet Musquee, &c. 



NECTAROBOTHKiIUM. A synonym of Lloydia 

 (which see). 



NECTAROSCORDUM (from nektar, nectar, and 

 STcorodon, Garlic; referring to honey pores in the flower). 

 OBD. LiliacecB. A monotypic genus, now included, by 

 Bentham and Hooker, under AllitiiM (which see for 

 culture of the species). 



