810 GARDENING FOR THE SOUTH. 



Peacli trees raised or varieties originating in the North- 

 ern States, are not at all unfitted for our climate. We 

 know of trees from the North, imported in 1836, and 

 others almost every year since, growing side by side with 

 good native varieties, and giving as profitable results. It 

 will be many years, before we get twenty-five as good 

 southern varieties that ripen in succession as can be 

 selected from any nursery catalogue. Still every superior 

 variety — especially of those that ripen late, for such can- 

 not be procured at the North — should be disseminated at 

 once. It sometimes happens that a fruit which originates 

 in one locality, is better fitted for some other section. 

 Some few European varieties of fruits are found to suc- 

 ceed better on this continent than even where they origi- 

 nated. 



Peach trees, in transplanting, are usually set twenty 

 feet apart each way ; which gives one hundred and eight 

 trees to the acre. They may, if shortened in yearly, be 

 set out fifteen feet apart, which will give one hundred and 

 ninety-three trees, or in small gardens twelve feet, giving 

 three hundred and two trees per acre. In gardens, fifteen 

 feet is generally the best distance. 



Peaches are so much alike in general character — the 

 difference in outline, color, flavor, and texture being less 

 than with other fruits, it is necessary in order to determine 

 the name of a variety, to resort to other methods of dis- 

 tinction. 



The two most obvious divisions are into free- stones and 

 cling-stones ; or, as we call them, soft and plum peaches — 

 the flesh of the former parting freely from the stone, and 

 being of a melting consistency ; and that of the latter ad- 

 hering to the stone, and being of a firmer texture. The 

 English name these divisions, melters and pavies. Both 

 these grand divisions are subdivided into classes according 



