THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
/ 5 
fall of 1870. Each lot of seedlings was marked so that each one could 
be traced to the parent tree. Twelve hundred seedlings were produced 
in this way. About a dozen of these seedlings were from the Chinese 
Cling variety and a single one only of the latter parentage, which was 
named the Elberta, after Mrs. Clara Elberta Rumph, was worthy of 
propagation. The original Chinese Cling tree stood near some Craw¬ 
ford Early, Crawford Late, Oldmixon Free and Oldmixon Cling trees, 
and there is a strong probability that the Chinese Cling blossom, which 
finally produced the Elberta, was fertilized by pollen from a Crawford 
tree. Mr. Rumph thinks that it is a cross of Chinese Cling on Craw¬ 
ford Early. One of the most interesting features connected with the 
effort on the part of Mr. Rumph to bring about new varieties of 
peaches in 1870 is that another stone from the same tree which pro¬ 
duced the Elberta, and which was given to Mr. L. A. Rumph, pro¬ 
duced the Georgia (Belle of), a white-fleshed, free stone, which is prob¬ 
ably crossed with one of the Oldmixons. 
The Elberta is the most widely grown commercial variety east of the 
Pacific peach belt. Its leading features are its general adaptability to 
a wide range of territory, vigor and hardiness of tree and bud, prolific 
bearing, large, highly colored fruit of 
splendid shipping and marketing qualities, 
and comparative freedom from rot. The 
chief objection to it is its medium quality. 
Oblong flattened in the North, round, 
abruptly conic in the South ; arge, 21 in. by 
in. by 2 £ in.; cavity large, abrupt, pink ; 
stem short, stout; suture moderate, 
depressed at apex, sometimes atcavity ; apex 
flat, broad, depressed at point in North, 
pointed at the South; bright, dark, lemon- 
yellow, splashed, marbled and often indis¬ 
tinctly striped on sunny side; dots red ; 
thinly pubescent; skin thick, velvety ; flesh 
yellow, red at pit, firm, juicy, tender; 
stone free, broad, flat, long pointed, mod¬ 
erately pitted’; season July 20 to August 5, 
in Georgia, in 1901 ; August 20 to 30, Chesa¬ 
peake Peninsula, in 1901 ; tree very vigor 
ous, open, spreading,prolific ; flowers small. 
The facts concerning the history of the 
Elberta were sent the writer by Mr. William 
H. Scott, State Entomologist of Georgia, and 
were approved by Dr. Rumph 
Eureka. Seedliug of Chinese Cling. Or¬ 
iginated with L. T. Sanders, Plain Dealing, 
La. 
Georgia. (Belle of Georgia.) Seedling of 
Chinese Cling, possibly crossed with Old¬ 
mixon Free. Originated with Lewis A. 
Rumph, Marshallville, Ga., from seed from 
a Chinese Cling tree in a variety orchard 
of S. H. Rumph, Marshallville, Ga. The 
original Chinese Cling stood in the center of the variety block near some 
Oldmixon Free, Oldmixon Cling, Crawford Early and Crawford Late 
trees. Mr. L A. Rumph planted the stone in the fall of 1870, from 
the same tree, and at the same time that S. H Rumph planted a stone 
that produced the Elberta. Introduced by S. II. Rumph. 
The Georgia is one of the most important commercial varieties of the 
group and may be appropriately characterized as a White Elberta in 
size of fruit, high color, and reliability and growth of tree ; ripens the 
bulk of its crop with Elberta.in Georgia, though it begins to ripen ear¬ 
lier. It is grown extensively in Georgia and succeeds in Connecticut 
and in some intermediate sections; stands transportation and is the 
most popular white peach of its season, where known, in the market. 
It is said by J. H. Hale to reach its best texture on sandy soils in the 
South, and on rocky, gravelly soil in New England ; on heavy soil it 
is tender and subject to rot. Described in 1001 from specimens from 
Joseph McDaniel, Dover, Del.: Oblong, round ; size very large, 31 in. 
length, 21 diameter ; cavity narrow, deep, abrupt; stem short, stout; 
suture distinct, but not depressed ; apex slightly depressed, round ; 
color creamy white with a bright red cheek, striped, splashed and mot¬ 
tled ; dots fine, red ; moderately pubescent; skin usually firm ; flesh 
white, red at stone, firm, juicy, fine texture ; stone free, large, flat, 
blunt pointed, deeply pitted, deep purplish red, If in. long, H in! 
wide, f in. thich ; rich sub-acid, good ; tree broad-headed, open, spread¬ 
ing, vigorous, prolific ; valuable commercially. 
The Georgia peach is usually known in the markets and in the cata¬ 
logues as Belle or Eelle of Georgia. The name Belle, however, like 
Duchess, in pear nomenclature, is objectionable, as it has been applied 
as a prefix to a large number of varieties. The name Belle is also used 
for another peach variety. The writer believes that it is in the inter¬ 
est of a permanently helpful nomenclature to use the name Georgia, as 
adopted by the American Pomological Society, and published in Bulle¬ 
tin 8 of the Division of Pomology, U. S. Dept, of Agriculture. 
ESTIMATE OF VARIETIES. 
The following list comprises the varieties that the writer would plant 
in his own orchard : 
Greensboro, Carman, Thurber, Georgia (Belle of) and Elberta. These 
varieties have been well tested. There are several others that have not 
been so widely grown, but which the writer would plant experiment¬ 
ally. Among them are Victor, Connett, Hiley and Waddell. This 
list is not recommended for every peach 
grower, but it is meant to represent a per¬ 
sonal choice of sorts that would be planted 
for profit. There are probably other varieties 
in the list that would be added after their 
merits have been more widely established. 
The selection of varieties is, after all, a 
largely personal question, depending on the 
aims and ideals of the grower, and upon 
local conditions. 
NURSERY INSPECTION. 
J. W 
Des Moines, la 
Hill. 
Nursery Company. 
Up to May 22 , according to the 
Country Gentleman, inspectors of nur¬ 
sery stock in New York state reported 
that 9 carloads, 66 boxes, and 9 bales 
out of a large number of shipments 
were infested with San Jose scale. Out 
of 135,499 trees 8,429 were infested 
with scale, and over 600 were infested 
with crown gall. Of the shipments 
having San Jose scale four came from 
Connecticut, one from Massachusetts, 
one from Virginia, one from Indiana, 
two from Delaware, three from Mary¬ 
land, four from Ohio, six from Penn¬ 
sylvania and fifteen from New Jersey. 
GEORGIA PEACH CROP. 
State Entomologist Scott of Georgia is quoted as saying 
that many of the peach orchards of that state are suffering 
from the brown rot, and that the fruit crop will be short all 
around. He estimates that from one-fourth to one-half of the 
crop of peaches is destroyed. The famous Colonel Stubbs 
orchard of 30,000 trees will have littte or no fruit it is said. 
IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. 
For the month of February the dutiable imports of plants, 
trees, shrubs and vines amounted to $ 29 , 103 , as compared 
with.$ 25,153 during the same month a year ago. The exports 
during February, 1902 , of nursery stock were valued at $ 9 , 493 , 
against $ 8,310 in February, 1901 . The re-exports in February, 
1902 , of plants, trees and shrubs and vines, amounted to $ 100 , 
against $345 in February of last year. 
