28 



EXPERIMENT IN PACKING RIPE NECTARINES. 



stout wooden box enclosed in a cask of ice. Some of the necta- 

 rines were as sound as if they had been just pulled ; others were 

 a little bruised and in consequence beginning to decay. They 

 ought to have been more firmly packed with cotton in the boxes, 

 and so as to render it impossible for them to move against each 

 other. Any one unaccustomed to see peaches or nectarines well 

 packed, would think them roughly handled in the process. Jt 

 must be done as tightly as the fruit can possibly bear. 



The nectarines were large and very beautiful, roundish ; of a 

 fine bright red on the one side, shading off to yellow on the 

 other. Flesh yellow, melting, parting from the stone, but no 

 flavour remained. Some of the fruits were 9 inches in circum- 

 ference. The weights of twelve of them, taken promiscuously, 

 were as follows: — Ounces, 4|, 5^, 4i, 4|. 5-^, 5f, 5±-, 4^, 



The Boston Nectarine was raised at Boston, in the United 

 States, by Mr. Lewis, from a stone of a peach. The original 

 tree was destroyed by boys, when full of fruit ; but the sort was 

 preserved by Samuel G. Perkins, Esq., a Corresponding Member 

 of the Horticultural Society; and in 1821 that gentleman sent 

 two trees, as above stated, accompanied with a drawing of the 

 fruit grown by him. It appears that Mr. Stephen H. Perkins, 

 the present proprietor, had supposed the variety has never been 

 fruited in this country. It is, however, recorded in the Trans- 

 actions of the Society, First Series, vol. vi. p. 394, that it was 

 fruited by Mr. Knight, at Downton Castle, in 1823; and it has 

 frequently borne against the peach-wall in the Society's garden. 



The Boston Nectarine stands unique in the classification 

 of peaches and nectarines. It is the only known variety of 

 nectarine with globose glands and small flowers. The Pitmaston 

 Orange agrees with it in having leaves wilh globose glands, 

 fruit with melting, orange flesh; but it differs in having large 

 flowers ; and, though not more beautiful, yet it is richer than 

 the Boston Nectarine. 



This experiment proves that although fruit as delicate as a 

 melting nectarine may be sent across the Atlantic, and then 

 exhibit as fresh an appearance as if but newly pulled from the 

 tree ; yet the flavour, that which constitutes the chief merit of 

 the fruit, is lost. The thanks of the Society are nevertheless 

 due to Mr. Perkins for the great care he has bestowed on the 

 experiment ; and also to Captain Lott, of the Europa, for the 

 promptitude with which he forwarded the consignment on his 

 arrival at Liverpool. 



