PEACHES AND NECTARINES VARIETIES. 



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VARIETIES. 



Turner mentions peaches, red and white, in 1673. Parkinson, half a century later, 

 enumerates twenty-one varieties. Eay, sixty years after Parkinson, mentions sixteen 

 varieties. Miller, in 1750, describes thirty-one varieties. London, 1822, enumerates 

 fifty-three varieties; and Dr. Hogg, in his last edition of the Fruit Manual (1884), 

 describes a hundred varieties, giving also a valuable list of synonyms. A supply of fruit 

 grown against walls or in cool houses can be had over a period of three to four months, 

 and, with sufficient means for forcing, ripe peaches can be had from April to October 

 inclusive. The following selections are made to meet the requirements of the greatest 

 number of cultivators.' 



I. VERY EARLY PEACHES. Season : Mid July to Early August. 



ALEXANDER. Fruit large, round ; skin bright deep red 

 on the sun side ; flesh yellowish white, melting, 

 juicy, briskly flavoured, and sometimes adhering 

 slightly to the stone. Tree hardy, and a free bearer ; 

 flowers large ; glands on leaves round ; an excel- 

 lent very early variety raised in Illinois, U.S.A. ; 

 ripe in July against a wall, earlier in an orchard 

 house. 



* EARLY BEATRICE. Fruit medium-sized, round ; skin 



yellowish, almost covered with blotches of bright 

 red; flesh nearly white, melting, and juicy, 

 richly flavoured, and sometimes slightly adhering 

 to the stone. Tree hardy, succeeding against a 

 south wall ; bears very freely ; fruit ripe about the 

 third week in July ; flowers large ; glands small 

 and kidney-shaped. 



* EARLY LEOPOLD. Fruit medium-sized, round ; skin 



pale yellow, marbled with red ; flesh melting, 

 juicy, and richly flavoured. Tree healthy, and an 

 abundant bearer ; flowers small, anthers laden with 

 pollen, excellent to fertilise varieties deficient 

 thereof, or liable to have the fruit split at the 

 stone ; glands small and kidney-shaped ; fruit ripe 

 towards the end of July. 



II. SECOND-EARLY PEACHES. Season 



A BEC. Fruit large and roundish, blunt nipple at 

 apex ; skin lemon-yellow, with a crimson cheek ; 

 flesh white, tender, juicy, and deliciously flavoured. 

 Tree tender, but excellent for second-early forcing ; 

 flowers large ; glands round ; fruit ripe at the 

 middle of August. 



* CONDOR. Fruit large ; skin bright crimson ; flesh 

 tender, juicy, piquant, and richly flavoured. Tree 



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* EARLY LOUISE. Fruit medium-sized, round ; skin 



greenish yellow, bright red on the sun side ; flesh 

 tender, melting, juicy, and richly flavoured, 

 slightly adhering to the stone. Tree a free 

 bearer ; flowers small ; glands small and kidney- 

 shaped ; fruit ripens about the third week in 

 July. 



* EARLY RIVERS. Fruit large, roundish ; skin pale 



straw, with a delicate pink cheek ; flesh tender, 

 very juicy and sweet. Tree healthy, and a good 

 bearer ; but the fruit is liable to split at the etone, 

 the defect being overcome by fertilising its flowers 

 with pollen from Early Leopold or Early Louise ; 

 flowers large ; glands kidney-shaped ; fruit ripe 

 about the third week in July : the richest flavoured 

 very early peach, but too tender for packing. 



WATERLOO. Fruit large, about 10 inches in circum- 

 ference, round ; skin pale green, marbled with red, 

 very bright on the sun side ; flesh greenish white, 

 firm, juicy, with a rich vinous flavour. Tree hardy, 

 and a free bearer ; flowers large ; glands round ; 

 fruit ripe at the middle of July ; an excellent very 

 early American variety, and from its firm flesh 

 bears travelling well. 



: Beginning to Middle of August. 



an excellent bearer under glass ; flowers large ; 

 glands kidney-shaped ; fruit ripe early in August. 



* DAGMAR. Fruit large, round ; skin very downy, 



pale straw, thickly strewn with crimson dots ; 

 flesh white, tender, with a rich vinous flavour. 

 Tree healthy, and a free bearer ; flowers small ; 

 glands kidney-shaped, sometimes round ; fruit ripe 

 the second week in August. 



