PEACH VARIETIES 257 



Persia and later was introduced into southern 

 Europe. It was brought to America by the 

 very early Spanish colonists, and before the 

 advent of the eastern colonies it had become 

 established in "New Spain" and had even 

 "taken to the woods." It adapted itself to 

 our soil and climate to such an extent that 

 many early botanists regarded it as a native 

 tree. It was so familiar to the Indians of the 

 Spanish territory that they used it as a basis 

 for naming and judging later fruit introduc- 

 tions. 



The middle of the fifteenth century saw the 

 peach cultivated in Virginia, but peach cul- 

 ture of that time differed widely from what 

 it does to-day. In those early times fruit was 

 grown to be drunk — not eaten, and the crop 

 was used for the making of peach cider and 

 brandy. At that time, according to Captain 

 John Smith, "few of the upper class planters 

 drank any water." The peach, converted into 

 various beverages, quenched their thirst — but 

 why dwell on so unpleasant a subject? 



It was not until about 1800 that the first 

 budded peach trees were grown in America. 

 It is presumed that at about this time peaches 

 came more in demand as an article of food 

 and growers desired to have orchards of uni- 

 form varieties and also desired to perpetuate 

 what good seedlings they had. Previous to this 



