PEACHES AND NECTARINES. 



813 



never entirely at rest ; and a wet and close fortnight in December 

 will set the sap moving, much to the ultimate injury of the tree. 

 I have recently been informed by a friend who has resided for 

 some time near Auckland in the northern island of New Zealand, 

 that large peach trees, after producing heavy crops, will die 

 suddenly, the death no doubt being due to the influence of the 

 climate. Duhamel gives a list of forty-three sorts of peaches, of 

 which many exist to the present day, and may be bought in the 

 Paris nurseries under the names which he employs, a good proof 

 of the strong element of conservatism in French domestic life. 

 The Madeleine de Courson, Malta, Pourpree native, Grosse Mig- 

 nonne, Chevreuse hative, Belle Chevreuse, Galande, Admirable, 

 Fetou de Venus, are familiar names in Paris fruit-gardens, and 

 are still popular and good. During the last thirty years, how- 

 ever, several new varieties have appeared in England. It is 

 within the recollection of many that July peaches on walls were 

 confined to the Early Nutmeg red and white, the Double de 

 Troyes, and the Early Anne, grown as curiosities only, in a warm 

 season these peaches might ripen in July ; but earliness is their 

 only recommendation, and they are not worth the trouble of cul- 

 tivation. These worthless peaches are now replaced by early 

 and good sorts, the earliest at present known being the Alexander, 

 a peach which I received from Messrs. Capps & Son, of Fort 

 Pulaski, Illinois, U.S.A., some time in the year 1874. I could 

 not at first credit the fact that a peach would ripen in an 

 unheated orchard-house during the first week in July. How- 

 ever, in 1876, this actually took place, and I had the satisfaction 

 of gathering ripe fruit both from the Alexander and the Amsden 

 June, which I received at the same time, the Amsden June 

 proving bitter in flavour and a clingstone, I did not think 

 it necessary to cultivate both varieties. On the Continent, 

 however, where the advent of these early peaches has been 

 hailed with delight, the Amsden June is said to be the more 

 popular of the two ; I am inclined to think that the two sorts 

 have been changed ; they are identical in the size of the flowers, 

 and it is just possible the Amsden June of the Continental 

 growers is the Alexander. After these two early peaches, the 

 cool orchard-house will produce a succession of July peaches, the 

 Early Beatrice, Early Louise, Early Rivers, and Hale's Early ; 

 these are a considerable addition to the season of peaches, and 



