PEACHES AND NECTARINES 205 



out successfully. But it was shown in the case of 

 the stoneless plum that it was possible to re- 

 assemble the good qualities of the fruit of one 

 parent and the stoneless condition of the other 

 in the progeny of the hybrids of later genera- 

 tions. 



There is no obvious reason why the same thing 

 might not be done in the case of the peach. 



The possibility seems the greater because the { 

 peach has been cultivated in so many different 

 regions and for so many different purposes that 

 it is highly variable. Its affinity with other stone 

 fruits has been illustrated over and over in the 

 story of hybridizing experiments already related. 



So it seems at least within the possibilities 

 that a way may be found to combine the stone- 

 less condition which has now been bred into he- 

 redity of one member of the stone-fruit family, 

 with the recognized qualities of the peach, in a 

 hybrid produced, no doubt, only after a series 

 of experiments extending over many years that 

 will represent the ideal of a stoneless peach. 



If the qualities of the almond seed were also 

 bred into the combination, the final product a 

 fruit having the matchless flavor of the peach, a 

 perfectly smooth skin, and a stoneless seed of 

 delicious edible quality would assuredly be the 

 paragon of orchard fruits. That such a fruit will 



