THE PEACHES OF NEW YORK 23 



of the continent. The Chinese early discovered trade routes over the 

 mountains from the center of Asia to Kashmir, Bokhara and northern 

 Persia. What more probable than that in remote times the seeds of peaches 

 should have been carried westward from China and the peach thus have 

 been introduced into western Asia where it at once found a congenial soil 

 and climate. The peach-tree is so easily raised from the pit that its dif- 

 fusion along routes of travel must have been very rapid. 



Of many accounts of the peaches of this region, long and short, perhaps 

 the following from Mr. Albert Regel gives, in the space to be spared, the 

 best idea of the extent of the peach-region in western Asia and the races 

 represented — races rather than varieties, for of the latter there must be 

 legions since we are told the trees are grown from seed. Regel,^ a physician 

 by vocation, lived in Turkestan for nine years and collected fruits and 

 flowers as an avocation. He seems to have penetrated every nook and 

 corner of Turkestan and adjacent regions. Of peaches and nectarines he 

 says: 



" Next to the pomegranate, the Asiatics prize the peach, and the 

 Oriental poetry compares its lusciousness to the fruits of Paradise. The 

 culture of the peach reaches its northern limit in the district of the Hi. 

 The young plants, which, as throughout Asia, are grown from the seed, 

 without grafting, suffer greatly there from frost and require careful cover- 

 ing; nevertheless the large, smooth, red and the rough, hairy, yellow fruit 

 of the Chinese varieties develop excellent characteristics. According to 

 the observations of the naturalist Wilkins, there are 40 varieties in the 

 Kokan district, among them some Chinese ones. In the South the peach 

 extends to Afghanistan and Tshotral ; its proper home, however, is Northern 

 Persia to the Caucasus. In Darvas the peach forms trees 30 feet high with 

 broad tops. The rough-skinned giant peaches of the garden of Kalai- 

 chumb are of unsurpassed lusciousness and aroma, and most inviting 

 bloom (tinting of the cheeks). They attain the size of an average apple. 

 The fruitfulness of this variety is so great that the leaves seem to be con- 

 cealed by the peaches. The Bokhariots prize the smaller rough skinned, 

 and red cheeked variety at Tchaapak,. which is distinguished by strong 

 aroma and firm, almost astringent flesh. The yellow peaches are especially 

 sweet. The number of rough-skinned kinds at Kalaichumb is considerable. 



" The smooth-skinned nectarines of this region, among which there are 

 smaller, pale yellow varieties and very large red cheeked ones, are of 

 unusually fine flavor and melting flesh; but they are equalled by the 

 nectarines of Samarkand. There are also small sweet yellow kinds, which 

 stand half way between the rough coated and smooth coated peaches. 



' Montreal Horl. Soc. Rpt. 12:64, 65. 1886-87. 



