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The late Mr. Knight inclined to the opinion that 

 the almond and peach are mere varieties of the same 

 species, and asks, if the peach be an originally dis- 

 tinct species, where could it have lain concealed from 

 the Creation to the reign of Claudius Caesar?" We 

 do not incline to the opinion that the almond and 

 peach are specifically the same ; but if we did, we 

 should not think that the opinion was strengthened 

 by the negative fact alluded to by Mr. Knight, even 

 if it were a fact, which it is not. We have seen that 

 it was noticed by some of the earliest authorities ex- 

 tant, and though Cato does not mention the peach, yet 

 he is equally silent regarding the almond. The evidence 

 from Mr. Knight's experiments, however, preponde- 

 rate towards shewing that though the blossoms of 

 the almond may be impregnated with pollen from 

 either the peach or nectarine, yet, that plants raised 

 from this hybridization are themselves incapable of 

 producing fertile pollen, and therefore shewing that 

 the offspring is a true mule ; infertile, because engen- 

 dered between two distinct species. 



Although it is doubtful whether the almond and 

 peach are specifically the same, there appears to be 

 much less doubt as to the latter being parent of the 

 nectarine. 



In the Linnean Correspondence, it is stated, that a 

 tree bought for a nectarine produced peaches ; the next 

 year it bore nectarines and peaches, and continued do- 



