PEACH. 213 



(c) Spanish group. The tree is the largest of all supposed 

 to have been introduced by the Spaniards; leaves small, flat, 

 and hang on late in autumn; fruit ripens late and nearly always 

 downy; tinged with yellow; nearly always acid and of low 

 quality. This variety bears heavily in the district to which it 

 is adapted, which includes the Southern and South Central 

 states. Among the varieties belonging to this group are Gal- 

 veston, Guadaloupe, Onderdonk and Victoria. 



(d) North China group. The parent of this group is the 

 Chinese Cling which is supposed to have originated in North 

 China. The tree is of medium growth; flowers large; fruit 

 large and white with a red blush. Such varieties as Elberta, 

 Mamie Ross and Carmen belong to this group. These are raised 

 in enormous quantities on the high lands of the Southern states. 



(e) Persian group; of unknown parentage, but is 

 supposed to have come from the high altitudes of Persia, Tree 

 is medium in size; flowers varied in size; foliage nearly al- 

 ways crimped, trough shaped and fall off the tree early in au- 

 tumn. This tree needs a long period of rest. Well known 

 varieties of this group are Crawford, Alexander, Mountain Rose, 

 Oldmixon Free and Oldmixon Cling. This group includes most 

 of the varieties that are successful in the North. 



Propagation. The peach is sometimes grown from seed. 

 Some varieties come so nearly true from seed that they are 

 propagated in this way, but it is an uncommon method with 

 commercial varieties. Budding is the common and almost ex- 

 clusive method used in growing the peach although success 

 often attends grafting, which is of convenient use for working 

 over in the spring those budded plants on which the buds failed 

 to take. In the South the peach stocks are commonly budded 

 in June and make large, full sized trees by the end of the first 

 autumn. In the North the peach is usually budded the first year 

 in August when the seedlings will be about two feet high, and 

 the stocks are cut back the following spring. June budding at 

 the North is not popular, as the resultant plants are too small. 



The seed must be stratified over winter and then cracked 

 in the spring, if not already open, and the kernels planted. Va- 

 cancies in the nursery row may be filled from the seed bed 



