9 



in 1814, by Mr. Mozard, entitled " Sur T education du 

 Peeher."* 



France much preceded us in the culture of this 

 fruit, for without reference to the peaches of Gaul 

 mentioned by Columella, we shall find that from the 

 very beginning of the 1 7th century, the age of Louis 

 XIV., the commune of Montreuil, near Paris, has 

 been celebrated for the culture and training of the 

 peach ; and its industrious and laborious inhabitants 

 are almost all exclusively devoted to the same pursuit, 

 and with equal success. The fame of Montreuil 

 attracted the attention of the famous La Quintinie, 

 the founder and director of the fruit and kitchen gar- 

 den at Versailles. La Quintinie, who was then con- 

 sidered the first trainer of trees in Europe, was asto- 

 nished to hear that these simple villagers were success- 

 ful, by following principles different from his own. He 

 therefore engaged the son of Pepin, one of the most 

 distinguished persons employed in training the peach 

 in Montreuil, to leave his native village and come to 

 Versailles, and train the trees in the royal gardens 

 under his immediate inspection. It is unnecessary to 

 mention the disputes that arose between young 

 Pepin and his master, and we need only say that they 



* Watts, in his Biiliotheca Britannicay deceived by the simi- 

 larity of the names in French, has included, in his list of works 

 on the peach, the works of Noel and Reste on the Fisheries 

 (des Peches.) 



