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LXIX. On the Classification of Peaches and Nectarines, with 

 Observations on the Disorders incident or peculiar to each 

 Class. By Mr. John Robertson, of Kilkenny, Corres- 

 ponding Member of the Horticultural Society. 



Read July 7, 1818. 



A s the classification of fruits, by systematic arrangement, 

 forms a subject which occupies the attention of the Horti- 

 cultural Society, I beg leave to communicate to it, the me- 

 thod I have adopted and followed these many years past, 

 to ascertain with correctness, the kinds of Peaches and Nec- 

 tarines I cultivate in my nurseries ; and hope that it may, in 

 some degree, tend to facilitate the attainment of the object, 

 which the Society has in view. 



Aware of the necessity of establishing my system upon 

 accurate principles, in order to reduce the different varie- 

 ties within well defined boundaries, under separate heads ; 

 and finding that the distinctions afforded by the fruit alone, 

 were, from its variable nature, insufficient; I had recourse 

 to the tree, to supply other characters which might, in con- 

 junction with those contributed by the fruit, of form, colour, 

 &c. enable an enquirer to ascertain, with little difficulty, the 

 true place of any individual fruit, which might come under 

 his observation. 



Availing myself, therefore, of the assistance of the leaf and 

 flower, I separated the Families of Peaches and Nectarines, 

 into Classes, Divisions, and Subdivisions, taking the distinc- 

 tive character of the classes from the leaf, as being the most 



