THE GARDENER. 



53 



for the continued high temperature of a tropical cli- 

 mate. 



It is to be regretted that there are as yet no perfect 

 registers of the temperature of places where the peach 

 in its natural state attains the greatest perfection. 

 Such would at once form the surest guide for the es- 

 tablishment of principles for the regulation of that ar- 

 tificial climate which the tree requires to ensure its 

 fruiting in perfection in Britain, and for which purpose 

 the aids of glass and fire-heat are provided. 



The peach withstands our winters unhurt, if they 

 are not unusually severe. It even succeeds in Ame- 

 rica exceedingly well as a standard, in latitudes where 

 the winters are much more intense, but the summers 

 hotter, than with us. This is in conformity with the 

 well-ascertained fact, that all deciduous trees suffer 

 less from severe frost in winter when their wood is 

 perfectly matured by sufficiently warm summers, than 

 when grown in climates where they cannot enjoy that 

 degree of summer heat which they require for the due 

 formation of their tissues. Hence, in the north of 

 England, young peach-trees in the open ground will 

 be partially injured by a degree of frost which, though 

 of equal intensity, will not injuriously affect similar 

 plants in the neighbourhood of London. The peach 

 also succeeds as a standard in Italy, the south of 

 France, and other continental countries of Europe 

 having summers equally hot ; but it may be observed 

 that where the mean temperature of the summer 

 months is above 70", or that of the warmest month 

 above 75°, as is the case at Rome, and still higher at 

 New York, the melting varieties of the peach do not 

 possess that rich succulence which they acquire against 

 a south wall under the more moderate summer heats 

 of the climates of London or Paris. On the con- 

 trary however, the firm-fleslied or clingstone peaches, 

 which are little esteemed in this country, are preferred 



