VARIETIES OF THE PEACH. 55 



Mountain Rose. — Medium to large; round, with dark red 

 cheek; tlesh white, juicy and good; freestone; last of August or 

 early September. 



Oldmixon. — Medium to large; greenish white, with red cheek; 

 flesh white, juicy and rich. The tree is hardy and productive, 

 ripening its fruit in the middle of September. This is oue of the 

 most hardy and productive varieties. 



Stump. — Resembles the last, but ripens much later and is per- 

 haps equally desirable. The tree is very hardy and productive. 



ADDITIONAL VARIETIES. 



Brigdon, Cliair's Choice, [ ' Fitzgerald, 



Elberta, Wheatland, Wager. 



Gathering. — Unlike the apple and pear, the Peach reaches its 

 highest excellence only when ripened upon the tree. This fact 

 makes it, in its best condition, a local fruit and insures paying 

 prices to the grower in Northern sections who will allow liis fruit 

 to ripen fully and market it carefully. It is true that large 

 quantities are sliipped from the sections where the fruit reaches 

 perhaps greater perfection than in Northern latitudes, but on ac- 

 count of the necessity of its being picked while yet hard, it is sent 

 to market before it reaches its best condition and is, in quality, 

 much inferior to that grown with us, where our fruit is allowed 

 to ripen upon the tree. 



Marketing. — In the South the Peach is gathered, often before 

 fully grown, and packed in baskets or in crates of about one-half 

 bushel. For the local market, to bring the highest price, it must 

 become almost mellow before being picked, and should be packed 

 in small baskets or boxes a single layer in depth, or at least, not 

 more than two layers deep, and taken to market in such a way as 

 not to roll or rattle about. In this way choice Peaches will often 

 command from five to eight dollars per bushel. 



Insects. — The only insect that is seriously injurious to the 

 Peach is known as the 



Peach Borer (jEgeria exitiosa) — Shown by the sketches — Fig. 45, 

 male ; Fig. 46, female, and Fig. 47, larva. This insect lays its 

 eggs at various times from June to September, upon the trunk, 

 generally near the ground, and the larvse may be found in all 



<jmm^ 



Fig. 47. 



Fig. 45. 



