PEACH-TREE. 231 
peach on the other. Peaches may be distinguished into iwo general classes, 
namely, those which separate easily from the stone or nut, called freestones, and 
those, the flesh of which adheres to the shell of the stone, and are called cling- 
stones. This species being most frequently raised from seeds, it is easy to con- 
ceive that the fruit must be of an endless variety, scarcely two trees producing 
alike. Hence it would be useless even to attempt an enumeration of them. The 
following variations, however, are widely different, in respect to some of then- 
characters, and may be described as follows : 
1. A. p. l^vis. iSmooth-skined Peach, or Nectarine-free. Of this variety there 
are two sorts, one with the fruit parting from the stone, (Peche lisse, French,) 
and the other with the flesh adhering to it {Brugnon, French.) As a standard 
in the open garden, it forms a smaller and more delicate tree than that of the 
peach. In dissecting the flowers of the nectarine, the germs may readily be dis- 
tinguished from those of the peach, in being smooth and shining, while those of 
the latter are always villous, or covered with fine hairs. 
2. A. p. flore pleno. Double-flowered Peach-tree. This variety may readily 
be distinguished by its double flowers. It is also of less vigorous growth than 
most of the single-flowered varieties. 
3. A. p. alba. White-flowered Peach-tree, known by its pure-white blossoms. 
4. A. p. foliis variegatis. Variegated-leaved Peach-tree. 
5. A. p. compressa. Flat-fruited Peach, a native of China, and is chiefly 
remarkable for the form of its fruit, and for being nearly evergreen in its leaves. 
6. A. p. saligna. Willow-leaved Peach-tree. This tree is described by Mr 
Royle in his " Illustrations of the Botany, and other branches of Natural History 
of the Himalayan Mountains," as growing in the district of Bissehur, and is 
called there, by the natives, bhemee. The fruit, though small, is represented to 
be juicy and very sweet. 
Geography and History. It is not certain in what part of the globe the peach- 
tree was originally produced; for, although we have early accounts of its being 
brought to Europe from Persia, it does not follow, from thence, that it was one 
of the natural productions of that country. Pliny relates that it had been stated 
to have possessed venomous qualities, and that its fruit was sent into Egypt by 
the kings of Persia, by way of revenge, to poison the natives; but he treats this 
story as a mere fable, and considers it the most harmless fruit in the world ; that 
it had the most juice, and the least smell of any fruit, and yet caused thirst to 
those who ate of it. He expressly states that it was imported by the Romans 
from Persia ; but whether it was indigenous to that country, or sent thither from 
a region still nearer to the equator, we have no information. He adds that it was 
not long since peaches were known in Rome, and that there was great difficulty 
in rearing them. He also informs us that this tree was brought from Egypt to 
the isle of Rhodes, where it could never be made to produce fruit ; and from 
thence to Italy. He says, moreover, that it was not a common fruit either in 
Greece or Natolia. No mention, however, is made of it by Cato. Pownall, in 
his "Roman Provinces," makes it a Phocaean importation to Marseilles; and 
evidently it was cultivated in France at an early period, as Columella, in his 
account of this fruit, says : 
" Those of small size to ripen make great haste ; 
Such as great Gaul bestows, observes due time 
And season, not too early, nor too late." 
The peach is said to have been first cultivated in Britain about the middle ot 
the XVIth century. Gerard describes several varieties of it as growing in his 
| garden, in 1597. Tusser mentions it in his list of fruits in 1557; and in all 
probability, it was introduced when the Romans had possession of that country. 
