30 



CASSELL'S POPULAK GAEDENESTG. 



perly grown forms one of tlie most valuable plants 

 lor winter decoration. It is not, however, really a 

 Linum at all; its correct name being Meinwardtia 

 trigynmn. Start the plants early in the spring, grow 

 on in an Intermediate House, stop the shoots often ; 

 keep the atmosphere well charged with moisture, as 

 red spider is the great enemy of this plant. As the 

 shorter days of autumn approach, remove them to 

 a warmer house, when the flower-buds will soon 

 appear and maintain a briUiant display through the 

 whole winter. East Indies. 



THE PEACH A3SrD NECTAEINE 

 UNDEE GLASS. 



By William Coleman. 



AS these two fruits belong to the same genus, 

 . Amygdalus Fersica, they are always classed and 

 cultivated together ; indeed, so close is the aflBnity, 

 that it is not unusual for the Peach, which is the 

 larger of the two and downy, to produce Nectarines, 

 which are smaller, and have a smooth skin, and vice 

 vers A ; while sometimes the two fruits are found on 

 the same shoot, and single fruits have been grown 

 with the skin of the Peach on one side, and that 

 of the Nectarine on the other. The late Mr. Thomas 

 Elvers, of Sawbridgeworth, to whom we are in- 

 debted for so many iine varieties, succeeded in rais- 

 ing Peaches from Nectarines, and Nectarines from 

 Peaches, amongst them being an excellent late 

 variety called the " Nectarine Peach,'' as it is in 

 every respect a fine, large Peach, with a smooth skin 

 like that of a Nectarine. 



It is generally supposed that this delicious fruit 

 is a, native of Persia, and that it was brought 

 through Egypt into Greece and Italy, where it was 

 pretty well known about the time of the Christian 

 era. But some great authorities assert that it is a ' 

 native of China, where it was well and extensively 

 grown at least five hundred years before it was 

 known in the South of Europe. In support of this 

 supposition, they state that it is mentioned in the 

 books of Confucius, , and its great antiquity is 

 proved by the fact that representations of its fruit 

 are found on old Chinese porcelain and sculpture. 

 From China they think it was taken to Cochin China 

 and Japan, where it is still known by the Chinese 

 name of Too ; thence across the mountains through 

 Cashmere, or Bokhara, into Persia, and eventually 

 to Italy. Be this as it may, it is sufficient for the 

 practical fruit-grower to know that it found its way, 

 most likely, through France into England, about two 

 hundred years ago, and that the pride and honour of 



breaking it up into numerous superior varieties, is 

 due to men of our own generation and country. 



At the present time the Peach is extensively 

 grown in Europe, Asia, and America, and also in 

 South Australia. Under favourable conditions, it is 

 frequently found to succeed in a low latitude ; but 

 being highly excitable, and always flowering in a 

 low temperature, its deciduous nature does not fit it 

 for a tropical climate. In the South of France, " 

 Italy, Australia, aiid America, it is grown in great 

 abundance as a common standard or orchard tree, 

 and produces excellent crops of fruit; but in our 

 own country and the northern parts of France, it 

 requires very careful management and training on a 

 south wall to bring the fruit to maturity, and then 

 the wood is frequently imperfectly ripened, and con- 

 sequently gets kUled during the following winter. 

 In America, we learn that orchards containing thou- 

 sands and tens of thousands of trees produce, large 

 crops of fruit, which is used for making Peach- 

 brandy, and for drying as an important article of 

 food, while tons of the fruit are conveyed to the 

 large cities for consumption in a fresh state. The 

 Americans raise their trees from stones, and, strange 

 as it may appear, they do not live so long as 

 worked trees in temperate Europe. 



This may be due to the great extremes of heat 

 and cold which they experience but if there be any 

 truth m the assertion that it is the pace that kills, 

 it is more probable that the enormous crops they cany 

 have much to do with this early coUapse; certainly 

 it cannot be imperfect maturation of the wood, as it 

 goes through the sharpest winters with impunity, 

 provided it is thoroughly ripened, as it must be in 

 the United States. 



When well grown, the Peach is one of the most 

 delicious luxuries that can be placed upon the table. 

 No good dessert from the end of May until the end 

 of October is considered complete without it, and on 

 this account there is always a great demand for fruit 

 of superior quality. Unlike the Pine, Grape, or 

 Melon, which can be grown abroad and brought to 

 this country by tons and shiploads, the Peach must 

 not only be grown in Great Britain, but it must be 

 grown as British gardeners alone can grow it, to 

 supply and satisfy the demand that has sprung up 

 within the last few years. To meet this demand 

 enormous span-roofed houses are erected, and very 

 wisely too, by shrewd people who are aware that 

 fresh Peaches from America are not likely to swamp 

 their interests, and who, after hearing so much of 

 the French Peach-trees, and the way in which they 

 are trained, have found, upon inspection, that they 

 have nothing to fear from that quarter, as the 

 French are quite capable of consuming all their 

 forced Peaches, which do not bear comparison with 



