THE PEACH AND NECTARINE. 125 



CHAPTER XVIII. * 

 The Peach and Nectarine. 



As these are closely allied to each other the latter, in 

 fact, being merely a variety of the former and, more- 

 over, require identically the ssune cultural routine, we 

 include them in the same chapter. The Peach (Prunus 

 Persica) belongs to the same genus as the Plum and 

 Cherry, and is supposed to be a native of China. It is 

 reputed to have been cultivated there two or three 

 thousand years B.C. Some authorities say that the 

 Emperor Claudius introduced it into Italy from Persia- 



The first English author to mention the Peach was Ger- 

 arde, in the sixteenth century. He describes white, 

 red, and yellow kinds, and remarks: " I have them all in 

 my garden, with many ther sorts." Phillips is of a 

 decided opinion that the Peach was first introduced into 

 England in 1524 by a monk named Wolf, who acted as 

 gardener to King Henry VIII. He brought this fruit 

 and the Apricot from Italy. The Hon. Mrs. Evelyn Cecil, 

 in her " History of Gardening in England," states that, 

 If proof were' needed that this fruit were to be had in 

 England [thirteenth century], we have it in the fact that 

 King John, at Newark, in the midst of his despair and dis- 

 appointment, hastened his end by a surfeit of Peaches and 

 Ale." In Southern Europe, Asia, America, Australia, and 

 New Zealand the Peach and the Nectarine are grown exten- 

 sively in orchards ; but in Britain it is essential to cultivate 

 the trees against a warm wall. 



The Nectarine is merely a variety of the Peach, having 

 a smooth skin of a richer colour than the Peach. The 

 Peach has a downy skin, and the fruit is usually much 

 larger than that of the Nectarine. Sometimes one branch 

 of a Peach tree will bear smooth fruits (Nectarines), and 



