HISTORY OF THE PEACH. 



11 



Late November and Baldwin's Late (also cling- 

 stones), are handsome and valuable acquisitions. 

 The last, being a November Peach, shows how 

 the season is now extended. From the beginning 

 of July to the beginning of November is the range 

 obtainable, and this not with one sort only, but 

 with a certain number, each widely differing in 

 appearance and flavour. 



Among European yellow Peaches the Admirable 

 Jaune is decidedly the best, and is grown to per- 

 fection in orchard-houses here. Few Peaches are 

 so remarkable in form as the Honey Peach from 

 China. It has quite the appearance of an almond. 

 Many, however, of our finest old varieties are still 

 high in favour, as a glance at any fruit catalogue 

 shows. But no one can venture to predict what 

 sorts may be valuable in the future. In fact, 

 Peach culture is in a state of transition ; and an 

 interesting paper, written by Mr. Thomas Rivers 

 expressly to illustrate this fact, and styled " Varia- 

 tions from Seed," will be found at the end of this 

 work. As orchard-houses generally advance the 

 period of ripening annually, and as new seedlings 

 are raised remarkable for earliness, we may reason- 

 ably expect to have good-sized Peaches ripe in 

 June, or even in May, in due time, without forcing. 



Of the history of the Peach little is really 

 reliable. Probably about the reign of Claudius 



