2116 



NECTARINE 



NEILLIA 



2453. Nectarines. 



two species of it, Persica violacea, the freestone nec- 

 tarines, and P. kevis, the clingstone nectarines. It is 

 now known, however, that nectarines often come from 

 seeds of peaches, and peaches have come from seeds of 

 nectarines; and yet it is not impossible that a distinct 

 species is involved in the nectarine group. Either may 

 originate from the other by means of bud-variation. 

 (See Darwin's "Animals and Plants under Domesti- 

 cation" for historical data.) 



The cultivation of the nectarine is in all ways like 

 that of the peach. Because of the smooth skin of the 

 fruit, it is perhaps more liable to the attacks of curculio. 

 It is less popular in the market than the peach, and 

 therefore is less grown, although in California it is 

 planted on a commercial scale. In that state it does 

 well on almond stocks. Nectarines are usually inferior 

 to peaches in quality, probably because less attention 

 has been given to the breeding and selection of varie- 

 ties, and from the fact that there is no conventional 

 standard of excellence. Nectarines thrive in the peach 

 regions. Varieties are few, as compared with peaches. 

 The most prominent in this country are Boston, 

 Downton, Hardwick, Early Newington, Pitmaston 

 Orange, Stanwick, Humboldt, Lord Napier, Advance, 

 Elruge. In color, size and season, nectarines vary as 

 do peaches. See also Peach, and Prunus. 



L. H. B. 



The nectarine is grown in California almost exclu- 

 sively for drying and camming, and even for these uses 

 is but of minor importance. As compared with peaches 

 for canning, the product of nectarines is only about one- 

 eighth of 1 per cent that of the peach, and for drying 

 only about 1 per cent that of the peach. The varieties 

 grown for both canning and drying are the white 

 varieties, because they do not color the syrup in canning 

 and because when sulfured they make a beautiful 

 amber-colored translucent product. E. j. WICKSON. 



NEGfJNDO: Acer, page 204. 



NEILLIA (named after Patrick Neill, at the begin- 

 ning of the nineteenth century secretary of the Cale- 

 donian Horticultural Society at Edinburgh). Rosacese. 

 Ornamental shrubs chiefly grown for then- graceful 

 habit, the handsome bright green foliage and the attrac- 

 tive flowers. 



Deciduous: Ivs. stipulate, alternate, short-petioled, 

 doubly serrate and usually more or less lobed: fls. in 

 racemes; calyx-tube rather large, campanulate or al- 

 most tubular, with 5 short erect sepals exceeding the 5 

 oval petals; stamens 1CH30, carpels 1 or 2 with terminal 

 slender styles: pod dehiscent only at the inner suture, 

 with several shining seeds. From Spiraea it differs, like 

 the allied genera Physocarpus and Stephanandra, by its 

 stipulate TVS. and shining crustaceous seeds. About 

 10 species in China and the Himalayas. 



The neillias are graceful shrubs, with spreading 

 branches, bright green generally ovate leaves and with 

 pink or whitish rather small flowers in terminal racemes. 



N. sinensis, which is the handsomest of the species in 

 cultivation, and N. longeracemosa have proved fairly 

 hardy at the Arnold Arboretum, while N. thyrsiflora 

 requires protection even in the Middle States, and is 

 often killed to the ground in severe winters, but usually 

 vigorous young shoots spring up and bloom and fruit 

 in the same season. On account of their graceful habit 

 and handsome foliage they may be used as border plants 

 for shrubberies. They grow in any good moderately 

 moist soil. Propagation is readily effected by green- 

 wood cuttings under glass and also by seeds treated 

 like those of spirea. 



A. Fls. whitish; racemes collected into terminal panicles. 

 thyrsifldra, D. Don. Upright shrub, to 6 ft. high, 

 but usually not exceeding 2 ft. if annually killed to the 

 ground: branches angular, glabrous: stipules rather 

 large, serrate: Ivs. ovate to ovate-oblong, cordate at 

 base, long-acuminate, usually 3-lobed, incised-serrate, 

 glabrous above, pubescent on the veins or glabrous 

 beneath, 2-4 in. long: fls. short-pedicelled, in terminal 

 and axillary racemes lJ^-3 in. long and crowded into 

 terminal panicles, rarely solitary; calyx-tube campanu- 

 late, pubescent, with the sepals about J^in. long. Aug., 

 Sept. Himalayas. R.H. 1888, p. 416. 



AA. Fls. pink; racemes solitary. 



longeracemdsa, Hemsl. Shrub, to 10 ft.: branchlets 

 terete, pubescent: Ivs. ovate to ovate-oblong, acumi- 

 nate, rounded or subcordate at the base, incised-serrate, 

 rarely 3-lobed, glabrous above, pubescent on the veins 

 and veinlets beneath, 1^-2^ in. long; stipules lanceo- 

 late, entire: fls. pink, about ^in. long, short-pedicelled, 

 in dense racemes 1^-3^ in. long or sometimes longer; 

 calyx tubular-campanulate; ovary hairy only at the 

 apex. June, July. W. China. 



sinensis, Oliver. Fig. 2454. Shrub, to 6 ft. : branchlets 

 terete, glabrous: Ivs. ovate to ovate-oblong, acuminate, 

 rounded at the base, incised-serrate, usually lobed, 



2454. Neillia sinensis. ( X \Q 



