366 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



never been seen before in the Highlands. The Horticultural 

 Catalogue contains the names of only two Nectarines ripening 

 in the beginning of August, and therefore coming within the 

 range of early Nectarines ; these are the Fairchild's Early and 

 Hunt's Tawny. The Fairchild's is characterised as " being 

 esteemed by some for its earliness," which is very faint praise ; 

 the Hunt's Tawny " as being a very distinct sort, worthy 

 of cultivation for its earliness." It seems, however, to have 

 disappeared from cultivation, as it is very seldom met with, 

 although I have no doubt it may still be found in some 

 gardens. These two early sorts are, however, superseded by 

 earlier and better kinds. I have been fortunate to raise from 

 seed the Advance, which ripens in July, and the Lord Napier, 

 which is, perhaps, not only the best early Nectarine, but the 

 best Nectarine known. With good cultivation it may be grown 

 to a very large size, and it ripens in a cool orchard-house during 

 the first week in August. I notice that at exhibitions of fruit the 

 first prize is generally accorded to this kind. The next sort which 

 maybe called early is a yellow Nectarine, the Goldoni, which has a 

 singular origin. It was raised from a stone of a white Nectarine, 

 which originated from a stone of the Bellegarde Peach. I was 

 careful to keep a note of the parentage. This Nectarine is 

 closely followed by the white Nectarine, which ripens towards 

 the end of August. The season of August Nectarines is closed 

 by the Stanwick Elruge, which ripens some days before the well- 

 known and ancient sort, the Elruge. Some day the season of 

 early Nectarines will be much extended. It is not, however, 

 a fruit much grown in the United States, its smooth skin render- 

 ing it more liable to the attacks of the curculio, while does 

 not penetrate the rough skin of the Peach. As many of the 

 Peach orchards in the United States are raised from seed, the 

 varieties of seedling Peaches there are very numerous, and the 

 small number of seedling Nectarines may be accounted for by 

 the unwillingness of the owners of orchards to grow fruits which 

 will not be profitable. 



I have only to add that in giving the descriptions of early 

 Peaches and Nectarines my examples are all taken from a cool 

 orchard-house. Fruit growing on walls is so precarious that 

 continusus observations are almost impossible ; but from the 

 orchard-house system, founded in 1850, I have been able to 



