200 



PLANTS AND MAN 



majority are grown in southern Europe, South Africa, Japan 

 and Australia. In the United States peaches are a crop in Cali- 

 fornia, Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New 

 York (fig. 137). Peaches are used as a fresh fruit, but a large 

 amount of the California crop particularly is dried or canned. 



Peaches are a perishable fruit, difficult 

 to transport or to store for long periods. 

 The Elberta is the most commonly 

 grown variety — a hybrid of a Chinese 

 and a Persian species. West of the 

 Rocky Mountains a small smooth- 

 skinned variety known as the nectarine 

 is grown. 



The APRICOT is a native of eastern 

 Asia where it has been cultivated for 

 4000 years, and where it still occurs as 

 a wild tree. It was introduced into 

 Europe in the first century, reaching 

 the Mediterranean after slow stages 

 through India, Persia, Egypt and 

 Armenia. Like the peach, the apricot 

 is a small tree producing pinkish flowers 

 before the foliage appears. Apricots are 

 susceptible to frost and therefore are 

 grown only in the warmer and pro- 

 tected portions of United States, China, 

 Japan and northern Africa. The fruit 

 (fig. 138) is like a miniature peach but 

 with a smoother, less pitted stone. The 

 apricot was introduced into California by the Spanish mission- 

 aries late in the eighteenth century; the climate was so well 

 suited to them that apricot orchards soon became numerous. 

 Today California produces all of our domestic crop, which is 

 chiefly canned or dried for market. 



The ALMOND, native of the Mediterranean region, is culti- 

 vated chiefly in Italy and Spain. Almond trees resemble peaches 

 in shape and size, but the flowers — which appear before the 

 leaves-^are large, pink and showy. The fruit (fig. 139) is struc- 



FiG. 138.— The fruit of 



the apricot resembles a 



miniature peach with a 

 smooth-surfaced stone. 



