3IO THE FRUIT GARDEN 



of seedlings is now almost unknown, except in a few remote districts where 

 modern methods are not practised. The Persian strain is most commonly planted, 

 with some varieties of the Spanish type. However, within about the last 

 twenty-five years two Chinese types have been introduced, which have added 

 materially to the value of the peach in America. One of these Chinese types 

 is the Peen-to, which is from Southern China, and is almost tropical in its 

 character. It is not hardy over the larger part of the peach territory, but will 

 endure the peculiar seasons of the extreme south, especially Northern and 

 Central Florida, where the common ones will not succeed. All the varieties of 

 the Peen-to strain are from one to two months earlier in ripening than the others. 

 The fruit is small and has a peculiar, rather bitter taste, but finds favour in a 

 limited way before the larger and better flavoured varieties ripen. The North 

 China type is of very superior character in several respects. The varieties are 

 mostly large, some of them are the largest of all peaches. They are generally 

 creamy white both in flesh and skin, except for a slight blush. By crossing 

 with others of the Persian type, some of the most valuable varieties we have ever 

 grown have been originated. The Elberta, which is to-day the most popular 

 of all our market peaches, came into existence by an accidental cross of this 

 kind. 



Distribution. — The territory over which the peach succeeds is quite as 

 extensive as that of the apple, and the two are almost identical, except that the 

 peach is less hardy and cannot be grown so far north as the apple. On the 

 other hand, it extends farther south. The most famous regions for growing 

 peaches are the Chesapeake Peninsula, the mountain slopes of Western Mary- 

 land, the plain regions of Georgia, Eastern Texas, the Ozark Plateau, which 

 latter includes parts of Arkansas and Missouri ; several favoured regions along 

 the Great Lakes, especially Southern Ontario, Western New York, Northern 

 Ohio and Western Michigan ; the warm valleys of the Rocky Mountain regions 

 in Western Colorado, Utah and Idaho, and many parts of California. 



Peach Orchards. — In all these districts, and in a less degree in many 

 others, peach culture is a leading industry. There are orchards of two 

 thousand acres and more belonging to one firm or person, and those of a 

 hundred acres are common. The production is enormous. Railway trains are 

 made up, daily, of loaded peach cars alone at a single station. Most of this 

 fruit is sold in the markets, and consumed in a fresh state or canned by the 

 housewives for winter use. Large quantities are used by the canning factories 

 and gigantic evaporators. In California a considerable portion of the enormous 

 crops is dried in the sun. This product is of the finest quahty, because of the 

 large size of the fruit and the absence of rains to damage it while curing. 

 CaHfornia and Oregon together have shipped over 40,000,000 lbs. of dried 

 peaches in one year, and this amount is soon likely to be exceeded. But it is 

 in the homes of our people that the peach is enjoyed more than elsewhere. 

 Scarcely a farm or country place of any kind is without a small peach orchard, 

 and many village plots have a few trees that furnish a considerable quantity of 

 fruit. It sometimes sells at a shilling per bushel, and from two to four shillings 

 is very common. Whether eaten fresh from the trees, served with cream and 



