173 



PEACHES. 



EARLIEST WHITE NUTMEG. Pr. cat. 



Early white Nutmeg. Lond. Hort. cat. 



White Nutmeg. Lond. Hort. cat. Mil. For., &c. 



Avant P^che blanche. Duh. Roz. Jard. fruit., and all other 



French writers. 

 Avant blanche, of some French catalogues. 

 Green Nutmegs of some gardens. 



This French variety many pomologists have considered synony- 

 mous with the Common White Nutmeg of our gardens ; but 

 it is a very different fruit, smaller in size and consequently in- 

 ferior in value, though earlier at maturity. The genuine kind 

 I have now under culture in my collection, and as this is called 

 the White Nutmeg by English writers, I have added the term 

 " Earliest" to distinguish it from our more common variety. 



The flowers are rather large, of a very pale rose colour or 

 nearly white ; the fruit is very small, being not more than an 

 inch, either in diameter or height ; it is on one side marked 

 with a very deep groove, extending from the base to the sum- 

 mit, which is terminated by a small pointed tit or mamelon ; the 

 skin is delicate, covered with down, and whitish all over, and 

 it is but very seldom that it becomes coloured with a slight de- 

 gree of red, even on the sunny side, and only when the heat 

 is very great at the Mime it attains to maturity; the flesh is 

 white even next to the stone, succulent, full of very sweet 

 juice, which possesses also a musky perfume, that renders it 

 very agi'eeable ; the stone is small, whitish or partially colour- 



