EARLY PEACHES AND NECTARINES. 



365 



Mignonne conies, which is said to succeed the Red Nutmeg, and 

 to be larger. As the Red Nutmeg is about the size of a Kentish 

 Filbert and the Petite Mignonne of an ordinary Walnut, there is 

 not much to be said in its favour. The next early Peach 

 is the Early Anne, which is said to be handsomer and tole- 

 rably well flavoured, but its earliness is its chief recommenda- 

 tion. It is a characteristic feature in these English-raised 

 Peaches that they endure the open-air climate better than the 

 American varieties. Passing from July into August, the 

 Horticultural Catalogue gives the names of the Acton Scott, 

 Yellow Alberge, Early Downton, Ford's Seedling, Hemskirke, 

 White Incomparable, Madeleine de Courson, Malta, Grosse 

 Mignonne (end of August), Smith's Newington, Noblesse (end of 

 August), Pourpree Hative (middle and end of August), Royal 

 George (end of August), Spring Grove (much like Acton Scott), 

 Sulhampstead (very like Noblesse), Sweet Water (end of August), 

 and Williams's Early Purple (end of August). With the exception 

 of Madeleine de Courson, Malta, Grosse Mignonne, Noblesse, 

 Pourpree Hative, and Royal George, all these varieties are for- 

 gotten, and justly, for the catalogue does not commend them. 

 In place of these sorts we have a sufficient number of August 

 Peaches which appeared some years subsequent to the catalogue, 

 viz. : the Early York (American), good, but subject to mildew 

 (from this Peach were raised the Rivers' Early Victoria, which, one 

 of my friends in Yorkshire says, is one of the hardiest and best 

 Peaches he has) ; the Rivers' E arly York, which is one of the hardiest 

 and most useful Peaches grown ; the Early Silver, the Early Alfred ; 

 the large Early Mignonne, which precedes the Early Grosse 

 Mignonne ; the Condor, the Merlin, the Magdala, the Grosse 

 Mignonne ; the Dr. Hogg, which is sometimes grown to an extra- 

 ordinary size, but which must be picked before it ripens on the 

 tree ; and the Crimson Galande. All these Peaches will ripen in an 

 unheated orchard-house during August, and will give a constant 

 succession of fruit to the skilful cultivator. If the culture on 

 walls out of doors could be depended upon, I believe that in fair 

 and good seasons all these sorts would ripen in August in the 

 south of England. Once I had a letter from the extreme north 

 of Scotland to say that the Rivers' Early York had ripened in an 

 orchard-house, and that the owner of this variety had invited 

 several of his friends to celebrate the event, as a ripe Peach had 



