176 



PEACHES. 



" The Noblesse peach, for largeness, good taste, and the 

 hardiness and the durableness of the tree, is not equalled, much 

 less excelled, by any fruit we have in England ; perfectly 

 agreeing with our soil and climate, as much as if it had been 

 a native of our own. It succeeds the Montauban, and for size 

 improves upon him. The flowers are of the whitish pale blush, 

 and the leaves somewhat serrated ; in short, it is the best peach 

 (take it altogether) of any we have had from France ; and a 

 man that is content with, or has but room for a few, cannot do 

 better than to plant the Montauban and Noblesse peach, pre- 

 ferable to any other." 



Hence it appears that this celebrated variety is of French 

 origin, and yet it is singular that it has not hitherto been iden- 

 tified with any thing in the modern French gardens. This has 

 induced me to put together the following remarks : 



*' The Noblesse peach is in the section of ' serrated gland- 

 less leaves, large flowers, melters,' of Mr. Lindley's classifica- 

 tion. The French include in this section, according to the 

 ' Bon Jardinier,' the Avant-Peche Blanche (White Nutmeg, 

 Miller,) Madeleine Blanche, de Malta, Madeleine de Courson, 

 Cardinale, d'Ispahan, and Nain. 



"The three last are peculiar sorts, not generally cultivated, 

 nor does the merit of their fruit deserve that they should be ; 

 and the first is only cultivated for its precocity. The Made- 

 leine de Courson is bright red next the sun, and mottled with 

 small dots towards the shaded side, not marbled with blotches 

 like the Noblesse, and its flesh is red at the stone. The Peche 

 de Malta, as the French likewise admit, has an aflinity to the 

 Madeleine Blanche or the Montague Blanche, and to these 

 the Noblesse is nearly allied, by its colour outwardly, the na- 

 ture and colour of its flesh, and in being also white to the 

 stone ; but it is nevertheless diflerent, being larger. 



*' The Double Montague has proved synonymous to the 

 Noblesse. Knoop describes the Madeleine Blanche and ad- 

 mits it to be the same as that called in the Low Countries the 

 Montague Blanche. He also describes the Double Montague, 

 but speaks of it with more uncertainty. He states it to be a 



