840 



FRUITS. 



Chap. x. 



stones are known in North America to reproduce themselves by seed. 33 

 In England the new white nectarine was a seedling of the old white, 

 and Mr. Kivers 3i has recorded several similar cases. From this strong 

 tendency to inheritance, which both peach and nectarine trees exhibit,— 

 from certain slight constitutional differences 35 in their nature,— and from 

 the great difference in their fruit both in appearance and flavour, it is not 

 surprising, notwithstanding that the trees differ in no other respects and 

 cannot even be distinguished, as lam informed by Mr. Eivers, whilst young, 

 that they have been ranked by some authors as specifically distinct. 

 Gallesio does not doubt that they are distinct ; even Alph. De Candolle 

 does not appear perfectly assured of their specific identity; and an eminent 

 botanist has quite recently 3R maintained that the nectarine " probably con- 

 stitutes a distinct species." 



Hence it may be worth while to give all the evidence on the origin of 

 the nectarine. The facts in themselves are curious, and will hereafter have 

 to be referred to when the important subject of bud-variation is discussed. 

 It is asserted 37 that the Boston nectarine was produced from a peach- 

 stone, and this nectarine reproduced itself by seed. 38 Mr. Rivers states 39 

 that from stones of three distinct varieties of the peach he raised three 

 varieties of nectarine ; and in one of these cases no nectarine grew near the 

 parent peach-tree. In another instance Mr. Eivers raised a nectarine from 

 a peach, and in the succeeding generation another nectarine from this 

 nectarine. 40 Other such instances have been communicated to me, but 

 they need not be given. Of the converse case, namely, of nectarine-stones 

 yielding peach-trees (both free and cling-stones), we have six undoubted 

 instances recorded by Mr. Rivers ; and in two of these instances the parent 

 nectarines had been seedlings from other nectarines. 41 



With respect to the more curious case of full-grown peach-trees suddenly 

 producing nectarines by bud-variation (or sports as they are called by 

 gardeners), the evidence is superabundant ; there is also good evidence of 

 the same tree producing both peaches and nectarines, or half and half 

 fruit;— by this term I mean a fruit with the one-half a perfect peach, and 

 the other half a perfect nectarine. 



Peter Collinson in 1741 recorded the first case of a peach-tree producing 

 a nectarine, 42 and in 1766 he added two other instances. In the same work, 

 the editor, Sir J. E. Smith, describes the more remarkable case of a tree in 

 Norfolk, which usually bore both perfect nectarines and perfect peaches ; 

 but during two seasons some of the fruit were half-and-half in nature. 



33 Brickell's ' Nat. Hist, of N. Caro- 

 lina,' p. 102, and Downing"s ' Fruit 

 Trees,' p. 505. 



34 ' Gardener's Chronicle,' 1862, p. 

 1196. 



35 The peach and nectarine do not 

 succeed equally well in the same soil : 

 see Lindley's 'Horticulture,' p. 351. 



35 Godron, 'De l'Espece,' torn, ii., 

 1859, p. 97. 

 37 ' Transact. Hort. Soc.,' vol. vi. 



p. 394. 



38 Downing's ' Fruit Trees,' p. 502. 



39 'Gardener's Chronicle,' 1862, p. 

 1195. 



40 'Journal of Horticulture,' Feb. 

 6th, 1866, p. 102. 



41 Mr. Rivers, in ' Gardener's Chron.,' 

 1859, p. 774 ; 1862, p. 1195 ; 1865, p. 1059 ; 

 and ' Journal of Hort.,' 1866, p. 102. 



42 ' Correspondence of Linnaeus,' 1821, 

 pp. 7, 8, 70. 



