Chap.X. peach and nectaeine. 361 



be distinguished, as I am informed by Mr. Elvers, 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 3S maintained that the nectarine 

 " probably constitutes 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. 33 Mr. Eivers 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. Rivers raised a 

 nectarine from a peach, and in the succeeding generation another 

 nectarine from this nectarine/ 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 

 clingstones), we have six undoubted instances recorded by Mr. 

 Eivers; 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 necta- 

 rines, 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/ 2 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. 



Mr. Salisbury in 1808 43 records six other cases of peach-trees 

 producing nectarines. Three of the varieties are named ; viz., the 

 Alberge, Belle Chevreuse, and Eoyal George. This latter tree seldom 

 failed to produce both kinds of fruit. He gives another case of 

 a half-and-half fruit. 



At Eadford in Devonshire 44 a clingstone peach, purchased as 



36 Godron, < De l'Espece,' torn, ii., Chron.,' 1859, p. 774, 1862, p. 1195; 

 1 859, p. 97. 1865, p. 1059 ; and ' Journal of Hort.,' 



37 'Transact. Hort. Soc.,' vol. vi. p. 1866, p. 102. 



394. 42 'Correspondence of Linnaeus,' 



39 Downing 'Fruit Trees,' p. 502. 1821, pp. 7, 8, 70. 



36 ' Gardener's Chronicle,' 1862, p. 43 ' Transact. Hort. Soc.,' vol. i. p. 



1195. 103. 



40 ' Journal of Horticulture/ Feb. 44 Loudon's ' Gardener's Mag.,' 

 5th, 1866, p. 102. 1826, vol. i. p. 471. 



41 Mr. Rivers, in ' Gardener's 



