4r24= 
[November, 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
Maxatawney. The leaves of this vine are 
somewhat smaller than those of the Concord, 
thicker, less smooth on the upper surface, and 
more downy beneath. Now there can be no 
mistake as to the identity of the vine, as it 
stands near Mr. B.’s house, and was planted by 
him; nor is there any doubt that previous to 
this year the grapes have been Concords, Mr. 
B. being an intelligent gentleman whose word 
can not be doubted. After looking at the vine 
and fruit, I told Mr. B. that his Concord must 
have been a graft on a Fox-grape root, and the 
new shoots have come from below the junction 
of stock and graft. But to-day Mr. B. informs 
me that the person of whom he obtained the 
vine (not a nurseiyman) assures him it was not 
a 9 ra ft, hut a layer from a Concord in his gar¬ 
den which had borne fruit for many years. 
We are aware that the Concord is a seedling 
of the Fox-grape so common in southern New 
England; but is it possible there could be a re¬ 
turn to its original form and fruit ? I think 
not. But you m'ay believe to the contrary. 
“ Adrian , Mich., Sept. 19, 1873. U.” 
The Thurber Peach, 
BY P. J. BERCKMANS, AUGUSTA, GA. 
[In April last we copied from the Farmer 
tond. Gardener, of Augusta, Ga., an account of 
this new peach by the editor, Mr. P. J. Berck- 
mans. Another year’s experience has con¬ 
firmed Mr. Berckmans’ high estimate of this 
variety, as shown by the following article. A 
varieties are susceptible of improvement, al¬ 
though they seem to have attained that degree 
of perfection allotted to their class. When the 
Chinese Cling was introduced, now nearly 
twenty years since, Southern gardens received 
one of the most valuable fruits in existence, as 
this variety surpasses in quality and appearance 
any cling of its season, and is not equaled by 
any of the numerous clingstones which succeed 
one another throughout the months of July 
original tree is of a most perfect pyramidal 
shape, having diverged from the usual strag¬ 
gling habit of growth of the Chinese Cling and 
nearly all its offspring, a defect whicli prevent¬ 
ed this variety from being available where 
symmetrical growth was desired. Fruit large 
to very large, often measuring ten inches in 
circumference; round or slightly oblong. 
Skin creamy white, beautifully mottled or mar¬ 
bled with carmine on a faint pink cheek. 
THE THURBER PEACH. 
neighbor of Mr. B., M. Camille Le Hardy, a 
skillful amateur artist, made for us a fine wa¬ 
ter-color drawing of the fruit, which we produce 
in an engraving. There is no one in the country. 
who knows more about peaches than Mr. Berck¬ 
mans, and though he writes with enthusiasm 
about this new seedling, his verdict will be ac¬ 
cepted by pomologists everywhere.— Ed.] 
The catalogue of the good Southern peaches 
has assumed such an extent that there needs 
be rather an elimination than additions to it. 
Within the past fifteen years numerous vari¬ 
eties have been denominated, whose aggregate 
number swells the list to repletion. Still some 
and August. Numerous experiments have 
been made for years past with a view to im¬ 
prove the Chinese Cling, but the seedlings 
proved invariably similar to the type or with 
only slight modifications therefrom. At last, 
after a series of experiments, Dr. L. E. Berck¬ 
mans succeeded in producing some forty free¬ 
stone seedlings, all resembling the .parent type 
in appearance, but differing slightly as to size 
and habit of growth, all, however, classing as 
very good to best. Out of this number one 
seedling was selected as combining unusual 
merits, and, by permission of the grower, the 
name which heads this notice given to it. The 
Flesh white, extremely juicy, dissolving, sweet 
and highly perfumed, quality exquisite. Un¬ 
like the Persian strain of clingstone peaches 
the flesh of the Chinese types is of a peculiar 
fine-grained texture which dissolves without 
leaving any sediment, and the Thurber peach 
possesses this quality in a high degree. 
Maturity from July 15th to August 1st in 
Georgia. Although. this variety matures at a 
season when peaches are in great abundance, 
its transcendent quality and appearance will 
always give it the front rank among the best 
freestone varieties of its period of maturity, 
and it will at no distant day become one of our 
best known sorts whether for market or ama¬ 
teur culture. 
Nearly four hundred seedling peaches have 
been submitted to the writer of this notice du¬ 
ring the past three years. Many of these were 
of excellent quality, but either reproductions 
of our well-known varieties or lacking some 
slight requisite to compete with those already 
known. Out of this large number of selected 
seedlings three only have been retained. Fore¬ 
most among these we rank the Thurber. In 
bringing this new peach before the public we 
have no hesitation as regards its ultimate popu¬ 
larity. We have fully tested its merits, as we did 
those of the Picquet, now recognized as the best 
yellow freestone peach of its season, and which 
has superseded all the older varieties of its 
class when grown together with them. 
