﻿OCTOBER 1 TO DECEMBER 31, 1915. 23 



lowest was 6 inches from the earth of the pot and the highest 8 inches, so the 

 five were closely crowded together. The trunk at this point is little, if any, 

 larger than a lead pencil. The fruit is of good color, as Chinese peaches go, 

 and taste better than any others I have eaten in China. The flesh is white 

 and.it clings to the pit. The fruit hangs on the tree a very long time and is 

 quite ornamental. The blossoms are quite showy, too. The Chinese say it 

 comes true from the pits. I picked the last one yesterday, and the first was 

 ripe a month ago. The ordinary peaches here are very poor — not fit to eat 

 unless cooked." (Campbell.) 

 For an illustration of this peach, see Plate VI. 



41396 to 41400. Amygdaltjs persica L. Amygdalaceae. Peach. 

 (Prunus persica Stokes.) 

 Seeds from Barcelona, Spain. Presented by Mr. Carl Bailey Hurst, Ameri- 

 can consul general. Received October 14, 1915. Quoted notes by Mr. 

 Hurst. 



" The peach tree of Spain is said to be of Persian origin and its numerous 

 varieties as found here to-day may be divided into four classes — the common 

 peach, or AlbercJiigo, the fruit of which has a yellow and red skin ; the Abridor, 

 the fruit of which has white, tender flesh ; the Pare, the fruit of which is fine 

 and succulent, and the Brunon, the fruit of which has a hard flesh and strong, 

 tenacious skin. From these four kinds 44 varieties have been developed. 

 Those most cultivated here are divided into two groups, those planted in the 

 spring and those planted in the fall. The spring peaches, which ripen in June 

 and July, are known as temprano, or early, the varieties of which found chiefly 

 here are Magdalena Rojo, De Malta, Canciller, and Valenciano. Seeds of the 

 fall peaches known as tardio, or late, can not be had at present in any of the 

 peach stores of Barcelona. 



" Spanish peach trees are planted in well-fertilized soil, the depth varying 

 according to the quality and nature thereof and local weather conditions. A 

 piece of bone is placed at the bottom of each hole made in the soil before plant- 

 ing. From the experience of local horticulturists it has been found that the 

 use of a mixed vegetable and animal fertilizer is best adapted to the growth 

 of the young peach trees. The earth around the planted tree should be worked 

 frequently. The planting of peach trees too close to garden or other walls is 

 found to be highly prejudicial to their development, and in transplanting they 

 should be placed not nearer than 1 foot away. During the first three or four 

 years much attention is devoted to the pruning of Spanish peach trees, in 

 order to develop symmetric growth and enable the sap to distribute itself pro- 

 portionately in all parts. Argillaceous or very cretaceous soil is not found 

 advantageous to peach culture here, as in such soil the roots can not extend 

 freely. If the soil be too damp, the fruit becomes insipid and matures late. 

 Where the soil is sandy the fruit produced is more aromatic, but less juicy. 

 The soil preferred for peach culture in Spain is a turfy mellow loam of a 

 calcareous nature. The seed of the cultivated peach is very rarely planted here, 

 as the growth of the tree is so slow that four years are required to produce 

 fruit. When, however, it is planted by the nurseryman, it is usually done in 

 the month of March. The Spanish horticulturist prefers to plant a wild-peach 

 seed which grows rapidly and gives at the end of a year a stock upon which 

 a cultivated peach bud may be grafted. The budding is generally done in 

 August, but may also be performed in May or September. The incision is made 

 from 4 to 6 inches above the ground. Preferable here to grafting on the 

 wild-peach stock is grafting the cultivated peach on the almond or cherry 



