By Mr. George Lindley. 531 



trees thus described, the differences are evident. In noticing 

 these, however, it is not intended to convey an idea that a 

 fourth division is necessary ; on the contrary, it would per- 

 plex rather than elucidate. In fact, it requires some prac- 

 tice to distinguish the middle sized from the small flowers. 



We now come to the fruit, with regard to which, nature 

 has furnished two distinct characters in the external ap- 

 pearance, as well as two in the internal structure. The 

 first of these depends on the downiness or smoothness of 

 the skin, the former being true Peaches, the latter our 

 Nectarines, known in France only as Peches lisses, or 

 smooth skinned Peaches. Each of these are divisible, from 

 their internal structure, into the Pavies or Clingstones, and 

 the melting kinds ; the former having firm flesh adhering so 

 closely to the stone as to be perfectly inseparable from it : 

 the latter having soft dissolving flesh separating readily from 

 the stone, and leaving a few detached pieces of the flesh only 

 behind. As the mature fruit in vegetable economy appears 

 to be the last stage of nature in her progress towards repro- 

 duction, I have adopted it as the most natural on which to 

 found my subdivisions and sections. 



Accordingly the classes of Peaches and Nectarines may by 

 examination of the leaves be ascertained in the first year the 

 plant has been raised ; the divisions from the flowers in the 

 spring following, and the subdivisions and sections, founding 

 the former on the character of the skins, the latter on the 

 qualities of the flesh, from the fruit in the succeeding sum- 

 mer or autumn ; and whether the number submitted to exami- 

 nation be great or small, the arrangement may be effected 

 with equal facility and precision. 



