PEACH VARIETIES 267 



The variety originated from a seed planted 

 by S. H. Eumpli at Marshallville, Georgia, in 

 the fall of 1870. The seed came from a 

 Chinese Cling peach gathered from a tree that 

 stood near Early and Late Crawford trees 

 and trees of Oldmixon Free and Oldmixon 

 Cling. The seedling was named in honor of 

 Mr. Rumph 's wife, Clara Elberta Rumph. 

 Another stone from the same Chinese Cling 

 tree was given to L. A. Rumph, and from this 

 grew Belle of Georgia, a variety that has 

 already been mentioned. The above facts in 

 the case are taken from Hedrick's volume on 

 The Peaches of New York, a splendid book 

 from which I have not hestitated to draw 

 freely for the purpose of this chapter. 



The Elberta is to-day the leading commer- 

 cial peach in America and will probably re- 

 main so for many years. Its splendid orchard 

 habits are such as to make it a favorite with 

 every grower who produces fruit to sell. I 

 think very few peach-growers would plant 

 this variety for their own use, but it must be 

 remembered that commercial growers like to 

 grow what they can sell — they don't have to 

 eat their product. At that, the Elberta is not 

 such a bad peach when it is allowed to ripen on 

 the tree. Unfortunately those peaches that 

 reach the city consumer are not so ripened. 

 Most peaches must be gathered a little green 



