AMYGDALACE.E. II. PERSICA. 



493 



but also of temperature. Of course the moss must be kept 

 watered. Peach trees in pots are sometimes trained to small 

 fan-trellises attached to the pot, but in general they are pruned 

 as dwarf standards, in which form they bear rather better than 

 when trained. When the fruit is nearly ripe, the pots should be 

 removed from the hot-house or vine-house to a cooler and more 

 airy situation, or if in the pits the sashes may be taken off a 

 part of every fine day. In other respects the treatment of 

 peach trees in pots is similar to that of the trees in the bor- 

 ders. With respect to the quality of fruit from peach trees in 

 pots, J. Williams observes, " by far the best flavoured peaches 

 I have ever tasted were from trees planted in large pots, and 

 kept in a vinery from February till the first week in June, when 

 the trees were removed into the open air, and after being shaded 

 a little from the sun for the first ten days, were placed in the 

 most open part of the garden till the fruit became ripe. Treated 

 in this way the peach is beautifully coloured on the outside, and 

 of a most exquisite flavour." Occasionally in very warm seasons 

 peach trees in pots, when forced very early in the season, and 

 afterwards plunged in the open air, will produce a second crop 

 late in the autumn, but this is more a matter of curiosity than 

 utility. It frequently happens with forced cherries and straw- 

 berries. Hort. trans. 3. p. 367. 



Peach trees as standards. The peach bears remarkably well 

 in the standard form, planted in the middle of the house, and the 

 flavour of the fruit is universally acknowledged to be preferable 

 to that grown on the trellis, from the comparatively free circula- 

 tion of the air. The glass tent or moveable house might be 

 most advantageously applied in this way, and when the fruit 

 begins to ripen, the sashes could be removed, and applied to 

 ripening a late crop of grapes against a common wall, or to cover 

 pits or houses which had not been forced. 



Forcing peaches by dung heat. Sir Thomas Neave (Hort. 

 trans. 5. p. 218.) forces peaches and nectarines principally by 

 dung heat ; about 3 feet and a half of the bottom of the front wall 

 of his peach-house is open brick-work, with a flue on the in- 

 side, the top of which is covered with flat tiles. The inside of 

 the house is filled with earth to within 2 feet of the bottom of 

 the lights, and the trees planted as near as possible to the front 

 wall, and trained under the lights or wires like vines ; the back 

 wall of the pine-pit is built of the same height as the front of 

 the peach-house, and 3 feet distant from it ; this of course forms 

 a space 3 feet wide for the hot dung, and as soon as he wishes to 

 begin forcing, this space is filled with hot dung. The roots being 

 next the flue soon begin to feel the warmth of the dung. He 

 finds great advantage from this method, and it is productive of no 

 ill effects until the leaf buds begin to expand, and if the steam is 

 not then perfectly sweet and moderate, the places left to admit 

 it must be secured. The way in which this dung lining is 

 placed is, that, while it is forcing the peaches and nectarines, it is 

 assisting to work the pines in the pine-pit at the same time. By 

 this means he has never failed in producing abundant crops of 

 peaches and nectarines. 



In medicine peach blossoms are recommended as an anthel- 

 mintic purgative. They are given in infusion ; half an ounce of 

 the fresh petals or a drachm of the dry for a dose. A syrup 

 made from peach blossoms is officinal in Wirtemberg. 



Common Peach. Fl. April, May. Clt. 1562. Tree 10 to 

 15 feet. 



2 P. L^VIS (D. C. fl. fr. 4. p. 487.) fruit smooth, glabrous. 

 *2. H. Native of Persia. Amygdalus Persica, Lam. diet. 1. p. 

 100. no. 21-27. Amygdalus Persica necturina, Ait. hort. kew. 

 ed. 2. vol. 3. p. 194. Noisett. jard. fruct. p. 89-90. no. 17-22. 

 t. 20. f. 23. t. 21. f. 3-4. The nectarine is distinguished from 

 the peach by its smooth, and rather firmer, more plump fruit. 

 In other respects the general history of the peach equally applies 



to the nectarine, as well as its culture and uses. Forsyth says, 

 " the fruit is called nectarine from nectar, the poetical drink of 

 the gods." The varieties of the nectarine are as follow. 



Far. a ; flesh separating from the stone. Called in French 

 brugnons, and in English free-stone nectarines. 



A list of free-stone or melting nectarines. 



1 Aromatic. Leaves with reniform glands. Flowers small. 

 Fruit pale yellow, red on the exposed side, middle-sized, ripen- 

 ing about the beginning of September. Resembles the violetle 

 hdtive. 



2 Balgone. Leaves with reniform glands. Flowers small. 

 Fruit large, pale greenish, but red on the sunny side, ripening in 

 the beginning of September. A first-rate sort. 



3 Boston. Leaves with globose glands. Flowers small. 

 Fruit middle-sized, orange, but dark red on the sunny side, 

 ripening about the beginning of September. A second-rate kind. 



4 Brinion, brugnon red at the stone, violet red at the stone. 

 Leaves with reniform glands. Flowers small. Fruit large, pale 

 yellow, red on the sunny side, ripening about the beginning of 

 September. A first-rate sort. 



5 Cerise peche, cherry nectarine. Leaves with reniform glands. 

 Flowers small. Fruit small, whitish, but red on the sunny side, 

 ripening about the end of August. More a subject of curiosity 

 than use. 



6 Claremont. Leaves with reniform glands. Flowers small. 



7 Desprez, Depres. Leaves with reniform glands. Flowers 

 large. 



8 Du Tellier's, due de Tello, du Tilly's. Leaves with reniform 

 glands. Flowers small. Fruit large, pale green and red, ripen- 

 ing in the beginning of September. A first-rate sort. 



9 Donmton. Leaves with reniform glands. Flowers small. 

 Fruit large, pale green and red, ripening about the end of Au- 

 gust. A first-rate sort. 



10 Elruge, common elruge, Claremont, Oatlands, Temple's of 

 some. Leaves with reniform glands. Flowers small. Fruit 

 middle-sized, pale green and red, ripening about the beginning 

 of September. Flesh almost white to the stone, excellent. A 

 good bearer, and forces very well. 



11 Elruge of Miller. Leaves without glands. Flowers small. 



12 Fairchild's, Fairchild's early. Forsyth. Leaves with reni- 

 forrn glands. Flowers small. Fruit small, green, but red on the 

 sunny side, ripening in the beginning and middle of August. 

 Esteemed chiefly for its earliness. 



13 Genoa, late Genoa, Genoese. Leaves with reniform glands. 

 Flowers small. 



1 4 Greenshield's late. Leaves with reniform glands. Flowers 

 small. Fruit middle-sized, greenish on one side, and red on 

 the other, ripening about the end of September. 



15 Hoy's new seedling. Leaves with reniform glands. Flowers 

 small. Fruit middle-sized, pale green and red, ripening about 

 the beginning of September. A first-rate sort, resembling the 

 Elruge. 



16 Jaune lisse, lisse jaune, jaune lisse tardive, Rousanne, 

 mofrin. Leaves with reniform glands. Flowers large. Fruit 

 yellow, small, ripening in October. A second-rate sort. 



1 7 Murrey, Murry (Forsyth), black Mtiry. Leaves with reni^ 

 form glands. Flowers small. Fruit middle-sized, pale green 

 on one side, and dark red on the other, ripening in the end of 

 August. A first-rate sort. 



18 Large melting. Leaves with reniform glands. Flowers 

 small. 



19 Ord's new. Leaves with reniform glands. Flowers small. 



20 Peterborough, late green, vermash, Forsyth. Leaves with 

 reniform glands. Flowers small. Fruit middle-sized, green, 

 ripening in the middle of October. A second-rate sort. 



