PEACHES AND NECTARINES 



CHAPTER XV 



PEACHES AND NECTARINES 



Budding — Houses Best Adapted for Growing Purposes — Borders 



and their construction — planting — cultural directions — 



Disbudding and Tying the Young Growths 



THE early history of the Peach is obscure. Some authorities suppose it 

 to be of Persian origin, but it is not definitely known where it had its 

 first home. The Peach and the Nectarine may be classed together, 

 as the latter is a variety of the former. The foliage and the blossom are the 

 same in both, while the fruit is quite distinct, in appearance as well as in flavor. 



Fine Peaches can be grown throughout this country without any glass 

 protection whatever. But this is not the case with the Nectarine. Our so- 

 called California Nectarines are Nectarines only in name. Plant a Nectarine 

 tree under glass and give it the proper care and you will get fruit of handsome 

 appearance and rich, luscious flavor. Prof. Bailey speaks in his Encyclopedia 

 of the Nectarine as being inferior to the Peach in quality. But this is probably 

 because less attention has been given to the improvement of the varieties. A 

 wonderful improvement has, however, been made within the last twenty or 

 thirty years, both in its size and flavor and in the length of its season. Some 

 years ago Lord Napier was considered our earliest variety. Then came Earlj' 

 Rivers, ripening some time ahead of Napier. Their competitor. Cardinal, was 

 eight or ten days in advance of Early Rivers, and for late fruit, Victoria, that 

 grandest of all the late Nectarines, which is a monument to its originator. There 

 are others, which I will mention later. 



We have now a wonderful assortment of both Peaches and Nectarines to 

 select from for forcing purposes. They are next in popularity to the Grape, 

 and justly so. The demand among the wealthy for hothouse Peaches and 

 Nectarines has increased to such an extent within the last few years that this 

 branch of our profession will be a growing one for a long period to come. 



The Nectarine is more popular as a forced fruit than the Peach, its dis- 

 tinct flavor being the more desired. But the fruit must be finished up to per- 

 fection in order to acquire this rich flavor, and it must be gathered at the proper 

 stage. As regards hothouse Peaches, one must be in close touch with the fruit 

 to appreciate its richness of finish and flavor. One fact that appeals strongly 

 to the owner of a peach-house is that there is no off year, but a steady crop 

 year after year, unless there has been poor judgment in overcropping, or mis- 



