173 



PEACHES. 



EARLIEST WHITE NUTMEG. Pr. cat. 



I'Airly while Nutmeg. Load. Hort. cat. 



White Nutmeg. Lond. Hort. cat. Mil. For., cVc. 



Avanl Pdche blanche. Duh. Roz. Jard. fruit., and all other 



French writers. 

 Avant blanche, of some French catalogues. 

 Green Nutmeg, of some gardens. 



This French variety many pomologists have considered synony- 

 mous with the Common White Nutmeg of our gardens ; but 

 it is a very different fruit, smaller in size and consequently in- 

 ferior in value, though earlier at maturity. The genuine kind 

 I have now under culture in my collection, and as this is called 

 the White Nutmeg by English writers, I have added the term 

 " Earliest" to distinguish it from our more common variety. 



The flowers are rather large, of a very pale rose colour or 

 nearly white ; the fruit is very small, being not more than an 

 inch, either in diameter or height ; it is on one side marked 

 with a very deep groove, extending from the base to the sum- 

 mit, which is terminated by a small pointed tit or mamelon ; the 

 skin is delicate, covered with down, and whitish all over, and 

 it is but very seldom that it becomes coloured with a slight de- 

 gree of red, even on the sunny side, and only when the heat 

 is very great at the time it attains to maturity ; the flesh is 

 white even next to the stone, succulent, full of very sweet 

 juice, which possesses also a musky perfume, that renders it 

 very agreeable j the stone is small, whitish or partially colour- 



