474 THE PEACH. 



ered with rough or cheap boards, and with two or three inches 

 of earth. At the approach of warm weather in spring, the 

 covering is partly removed to admit air and prevent the rot- 

 ting of the buds, and the whole is taken off as soon as there 

 is no danger from frost. The use of corn fodder laid on the 

 rafters about two feet thick would be easier, and would prob- 

 ably answer an excellent purpose. 



The earliest and hardiest sorts should be selected for these 

 experiments, among which may be named Cooledge's Favo- 

 rite, Hale, Early York, Cole Red, and Barnard. 



VARIETIES. 



While the pear and apple are chiefly affected by the influ- 

 ence of soil, the variations in the quality of the peach result 

 mostly from the effects of climate. Fine American varieties 

 are pronounced worthless in England. In this country, some, 

 often delicious, are of little value in unfavorable seasons. 

 Some which succeed finely as far south as Philadelphia lose 

 much by removal to Western New York, from the slightly 

 diminished warmth of the summers. 



A large number of seedlings of high quality have been pro- 

 duced in this country, but as they vary but slightly and do 

 not excel other named and known sorts, it becomes desirable 

 not to extend the present list, unless by those decidedly supe- 

 rior to existing first-rate varieties. The similarity in quality 

 and the comparative shortness of the fruit season render a 

 small selection sufficient for ordinary collections. Hence the 

 main object of the following descriptive list is to define the 

 characters of described or well-known sorts, and point out 

 those most worthy of cultivation in our climate. 



While the foregoing holds true with respect to the varieties 

 more particularly described in the pages immediately follow- 

 ing, a very large number selected from the more recent 

 introductions has been added in the present edition to the 

 list given in the descriptive index. It is not pretended, how- 

 ever, that even together the large number of varieties named 

 embrace all that may be described or offered for sale by 

 nurserymen, nor are included those which are more pecul- 

 iarly adopted for cultivation in the Pacific States. 



