Chapter V: Leading Varieties of Peaches (3)

Fruit matures in mid-season; two and seven-sixteenths inches
long, more than two and one-half inches wide, round-cordate,
often bulged at one side, compressed, with unequal sides;
cavity deep, wide, flaring or somewhat abrupt, often splashed
with red; suture shallow, becoming deeper at both apex and
cavity and extending slightly beyond the point; apex roundish
or pointed, with a recurved, mamelon or occasionally mucronate
tip; color deep yellow overspread with dark red, with a few
splashes or stripes of red; pubescence long, thick; skin thick,
tough, separates from the pulp when fully ripe; flesh deep
yellow, faintly stained with red near the pit, juicy, coarse
and stringy, firm but tender, sweet, mild, spicy; very good in
quality; stone free.

GENERAL LEE

=1.= _Gard. Mon._ =29=:271. 1887. =2.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 30.
1889. =3.= Budd-Hansen _Am. Hort. Man._ =2=:346. 1903.

_R. E. Lee._ =4.= _Ga. Hort. Soc. Rpt._ 21. 1877. =5.= _Gard.
Mon._ =27=:275. 1885. =6.= _Ga. Sta. Bul._ =42=:240. 1898.

_Lee._ =7.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 22. 1897. =8.= _Del. Sta.
Rpt._ =13=:104. 1901. =9.= Budd-Hansen _Am. Hort. Man._
=2=:349. 1903.

General Lee is a white-fleshed clingstone, the fruit none too attractive and surpassed by that of other varieties of its season in quality. It is without value in the North. Southern growers say General Lee is an improved Chinese Cling and as such well worth growing under some conditions. It has the reputation of being quite susceptible to brown-rot. The variety is offered by a good many nurserymen and we discuss it only to condemn it for planting in New York. The variety, as its history shows, really belongs to eastern Asia and thus arouses interest.

General Lee originated with Judge Campbell, Pensacola, Florida, from pits brought from Japan in 1860. In 1864 P. J. Berckmans received buds from R. R. Hunley of Alabama and in 1867 introduced the sort under the name General Lee. The American Pomological Society listed this peach in 1889 as General Lee but in 1897 shortened the name to Lee and so it appears in the Society's catalog at the present time. We prefer the old name since when shortened it loses all significance as a commemorative appellation.

Tree very large, vigorous, spreading, unproductive; trunk
thick, rough; branches reddish-brown tinged with light
ash-gray; branchlets slender, with internodes dark red mingled
with considerable green, glossy, smooth, glabrous, with
numerous inconspicuous, raised lenticels variable in size.

Leaves six and one-fourth inches long, one and one-half inches
wide, flat or folded downward, oval to obovate-lanceolate,
thick, leathery; upper surface dark, dull green, smooth; lower
surface grayish-green; apex acuminate; margin coarsely serrate,
tipped with reddish-brown glands; petiole nearly one-half inch
long, with one to four large, reniform, reddish-brown glands
variable in position.

Flower-buds somewhat tender, large, conspicuous, very
plump, conical to obtuse, strongly pubescent, appressed or
slightly free; blossoms appear in mid-season; flowers one and
thirteen-sixteenths inches across, pink, well distributed;
pedicels short, glabrous, green; calyx-tube reddish-green
at the base, greenish-yellow within, obconic, glabrous;
calyx-lobes narrow, obtuse, glabrous within, pubescent without;
petals narrow-oval, tapering to short, broad claws occasionally
with reddish base; filaments seven-sixteenths inch long,
shorter than the petals; pistil pubescent near the base, longer
than the stamens.

Fruit matures in mid-season; two and five-eighths inches
long, two and one-half inches wide, round or roundish-oval,
compressed, with halves equal; cavity deep, medium to wide,
contracted around the sides, abrupt or flaring, often mottled
with red; suture medium to deep, extending beyond the tip;
apex mucronate, mamelon; color greenish-white changing to
creamy-white, with a dull or lively red blush in which are
intermingled a few splashes of duller red; pubescence coarse,
long, thick; skin thick, tough, clings to the pulp; flesh
white, stained with red near the pit, juicy, stringy, tender,
sweet but sprightly, pleasantly flavored; good in quality;
stone clinging, one and five-sixteenths inches long, one inch
wide, bulged on one side, broadly oval to ovate, flattened,
short-pointed at the apex, with pitted surfaces; ventral suture
winged, narrow, deeply grooved along the edges; dorsal suture
grooved.

GEORGE IV

=1.= _Mas Le Verger_ =7=:49, 50, fig. 23. 1866-73. =2.= Leroy
_Dict. Pom._ =6=:129 fig. 1879. =3.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 37.
1909. =4.= Waugh _Am. Peach Orch._ 202. 1913.

_George the Fourth._ =5.= _Lond. Hort. Soc. Rpt._ =6=:413.
1826. =6.= _Pom. Mag._ =3=:105. Pl. 1830. =7.= Prince _Pom.
Man._ =1=:192, 193. 1831. =8.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 478.
1845. =9.= _Mag. Hort._ =13=:120, 121, 122. 1847. =10.= _Proc.
Nat. Con. Fr. Gr._ 38, 51. 1848. =11.= Carrière _Var. Pêchers_
70. 1867. =12.= Hogg _Fruit Man._ 447. 1884. =13.= Budd-Hansen
_Am. Hort. Man._ =2=:346. 1903.

Once one of the mainstays of American peach-growing, George IV is now of but historical interest. This variety was one of the first named American peaches and had the honor of being placed on the recommended list of fruits at the first meeting of the National Convention of Fruit-Growers, an organization which became the American Pomological Society, in 1848. George IV is not worth planting now and is illustrated and described in _The Peaches of New York_ only that fruit-growers may note progress in the development of peaches. It is interesting to note that this old American peach is still widely grown in Europe.

George IV has been confused with several other sorts, particularly Morris Red. Prince, in the _Magazine of Horticulture_, writes that Morris Red is an old Red Rareripe brought to America from Europe by Huguenot emigrants and that George IV came from buds of the original tree of this variety. The consensus of opinion, however, among those who early knew both peaches, is that Morris Red and George IV are distinct and that both are of American origin. George IV, the best authorities say, sprang up as a chance seedling, about 1821, in the garden of a Mr. Gill, Broad Street, New York City. After fruiting, the variety rapidly grew in favor and within a few years was everywhere grown in eastern America. Taken to Europe, it soon became one of the standard European peaches. From the first it was on the list in the American Pomological Society's fruit-catalog but was dropped in 1897 to be replaced in 1909. We doubt if it now deserves to be recommended on any list of fruits.

Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, hardy, unproductive;
trunk thick; branches stocky, smooth, reddish-brown covered
with light ash-gray; branchlets dark red, with faint traces of
green, glossy, smooth, glabrous, with numerous conspicuous,
small lenticels.

Leaves seven inches long, one and five-eighths inches wide,
folded upward and recurved, oval to obovate-lanceolate, rather
thick, leathery; upper surface dark green, smooth except
near the midrib; lower surface grayish-green; margin sharply
serrate, red; petiole three-eighths inch long, glandless or
with one to three small, globose, reddish-brown glands usually
at the base of the blade.

Flower-buds short, obtuse, plump, heavily pubescent, appressed;
blossoms appear in mid-season; flowers pale pink, with white
centers and edged with darker pink, nearly one inch across;
pedicels nearly sessile; calyx-tube reddish-green, light yellow
within, campanulate, glabrous; calyx-lobes medium in length and
width, obtuse or acute, glabrous within, pubescent without;
petals roundish-oval, tapering to claws red at the base;
filaments one-fourth inch long, equal to the petals in length;
pistil longer than the stamens.

Fruit matures in mid-season; two and five-sixteenths inches
long, two and seven-sixteenths inches wide, roundish-oblate,
bulged near the apex, oblique, with unequal sides; cavity
slightly contracted, deep, wide, abrupt, with tender skin;
suture shallow, becoming deeper at both apex and cavity and
faintly showing beyond the tip; apex roundish, with a mucronate
tip; color greenish-white changing to creamy-white, with a pink
blush and sometimes with faint mottlings of red; pubescence
short, thick, fine; skin thin, tough, variable in adherence
to the pulp; flesh whitish, deeply tinged with red near the
pit, juicy, stringy, tender, mild, pleasantly flavored; good
in quality; stone semi-free to free, one and one-eighth inches
long, three-fourths inch thick, roundish-oval, very plump,
flattened at the base, tapering to a short, rounded point, with
grooved surfaces; ventral suture winged, rather narrow; dorsal
suture grooved.

GOLD DROP

=1.= Kan. Hort. Soc. _Peach, The_ 142. 1899. =2.= _Mich. Sta.
Bul._ =169=:214. 1899. =3.= Budd-Hansen _Am. Hort. Man._
=2=:347. 1903. =4.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 37. 1909.

_Golden Drop._ =5.= _U. S. Pat. Off. Rpt._ 298. 1855. =6.=
_Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt._ 243. 1886. =7.= _Ont. Fr. Exp. Sta.
Rpt._ =2=:58 fig. 1895. =8.= _Mich. Sta. Sp. Bul._ =44=:42, 43
fig., 44, 45. 1910.

Gold Drop, long a familiar variety in Michigan peach-orchards, is not much grown elsewhere. It is doubtfully worth planting in New York as a peach of commerce but should find a place in every home orchard. The variety has several distinctive peculiarities which make it a pleasing variation in the peach-orchard and add to its merits as a home fruit. Thus, its transparent, golden skin and flesh make it one of the handsomest of all peaches; add to handsome appearance a somewhat distinctive flavor--vinous, rich, refreshing--and the peach becomes one that all agree is very good and one that, were the size larger, would sell in any market. Gold Drop is further characterized by great hardiness in tree and bud and by remarkable productiveness. Indeed, it loads itself so heavily that the peaches invariably run small unless the trees are heavily pruned and the crop thinned--small size of fruit is the greatest defect of the variety. Besides being one of the hardiest of all peaches it is also about the least susceptible to brown-rot and leaf-curl, the two worst scourges of the peach when yellows permits the trees to live. Earliness in coming in bearing is another admirable character. The trees are of but medium size, are dainty in habits with clean, fresh foliage so that the variety is an attractive ornamental. All in all, Gold Drop is ideal for the home garden and has many good characters which can be used as stepping-stones in breeding peaches.

The origin of Gold Drop is unknown. It is evidently an old sort and some horticulturists believe it to be an old variety renamed. The variety has been cultivated in Michigan orchards for many years under the name Golden Drop given it by George W. Griffin, Casco, Allegan County, Michigan, who introduced it. The variety was at one time supposed to be the peach which is grown in Michigan as Yellow Rareripe but it is not the Yellow Rareripe cultivated today. The American Pomological Society listed it in its fruit-catalog in 1909 under the name Gold Drop.

Tree of medium size and vigor, spreading, rather open-topped,
hardy, very productive; trunk thick and smooth; branches
stocky, smooth, reddish-brown with a covering of light
ash-gray; branchlets slender, with internodes dull pinkish-red
intermingled with green, smooth, glabrous, with conspicuous,
raised lenticels.

Leaves five and one-half inches long, one and one-fourth inches
wide, folded upward and recurved, oval to obovate-lanceolate,
leathery; upper surface dark green, mottled; lower surface
grayish-green; margin finely serrate, tipped with red along the
edge; petiole three-eighths inch long, with two to nine large,
reddish-brown or grayish, mixed glands usually on the leaf.

Flower-buds long, conical or obtuse, plump, somewhat appressed,
pubescent; season of bloom early; flowers pale pink, one and
three-fourths inches across, well distributed; pedicels short,
medium to slender, glabrous, green; calyx-tube reddish-green,
orange-colored within, obconic, glabrous; calyx-lobes broad,
usually acute, glabrous within, pubescent without; petals
ovate, notched near the base, tapering to long, narrow claws
variable in color at the base; filaments one-half inch long,
shorter than the petals; pistil pubescent at the ovary, equal
to or longer than the stamens.

Fruit matures late; two and seven-sixteenths inches long,
nearly two and one-half inches wide, roundish-oval, bulged
at one side, with unequal halves; cavity deep, abrupt,
twig-marked; suture very shallow, extending beyond the apex;
apex roundish, with a slightly mamelon or mucronate tip; color
greenish or golden-yellow, with a dull blush on one side;
pubescence thick, coarse; skin adhering to the pulp; flesh pale
yellow to the pit, variable in juiciness, pleasantly sprightly;
good in quality; stone free, one and nine-sixteenths inches
long, one and one-sixteenth inches wide, broadly ovate, bulged
at one side, with a pointed apex and deeply grooved surfaces;
ventral suture deeply grooved at the sides, rather narrow;
dorsal suture with a deep groove, wing-like.

GOVERNOR HOGG

=1.= Brown Bros. _Cat._ 27. 1906. =2.= _Ga. Hort. Soc. Rpt._
65, 66. 1907. =3.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 37. 1909. =4.= _N. J.
Hort. Soc. Rpt._ 37. 1912. =5.= Waugh _Am. Peach Orch._ 202.
1913.

_Governor._ =6.= _Del. Sta. Rpt._ =13=:101. 1901.

Were it not that Governor Hogg must compete with the well-established Greensboro and Carman, we should say at once that it was well worth trying in commercial planting in New York as an early, white-fleshed peach. In the Station orchard, Governor Hogg ripens a few days after Carman, is larger, handsomer and as good in quality. In both appearance and quality, Governor Hogg excels Greensboro, the size, shape and color of the two, as the illustrations show, being much the same though the color of this variety runs more to reds and soft tints of red. The flesh is firm, though tender and delicate, and the peaches ought to stand shipment well. As with all of these early, white-fleshed peaches, Governor Hogg is quite susceptible to both leaf-curl and brown-rot.

The parentage of this peach is unknown. It seems to have originated with a Mr. McClung, Tyler, Texas, about 1892, and was disseminated by Messrs. Sneed and Whitaker of the same place. The American Pomological Society placed Governor Hogg on its fruit-list in 1909.

Tree large, upright-spreading, open-topped, hardy, variable
in productiveness; trunk thick, reddish-brown intermingled
with light ash-gray; branches slender, with short internodes,
brownish mingled with red and ash-gray, glossy, smooth,
glabrous, with many conspicuous, large and small lenticels.

Leaves five and one-half inches long, one and one-half
inches wide, folded upward and slightly recurved, usually
oval-lanceolate, medium in thickness, leathery; upper surface
dark olive-green, smooth; lower surface grayish-green; margin
finely serrate, tipped with reddish-brown glands; petiole
three-eighths inch long, glandless or with one to five
reniform, reddish-brown glands of medium size, variable in
position; flower-buds conical, plump, pubescent, appressed;
blossoms open in mid-season.

Fruit matures early; two and one-fourth inches long, more than
two inches wide, oblong-oval, compressed, oblique; cavity deep,
narrow, abrupt; suture shallow, becoming deeper at the cavity;
apex depressed, with a mucronate tip; color creamy-white,
blushed with red; pubescence short; skin thin, separates from
the pulp; flesh white, juicy, stringy, meaty, rather tough;
good in quality; stone clinging, one and three-eighths inches
long, seven-eighths inch wide, obovate, plump, strongly bulged
on one side, conspicuously winged, pointed at the base, with
the surfaces grooved and pitted; ventral suture winged, narrow,
with furrows of medium depth along the sides.

GREENSBORO

=1.= _Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt._ 238. 1896. =2.= _Am. Pom. Soc.
Cat._ 33. 1899. =3.= Kan. Hort. Soc. _Peach, The_ 49, 143.
1899. =4.= _Del. Sta. Rpt._ =13=:101 fig. 6, 102. 1901. =5.=
_Ont. Fr. Exp. Sta. Rpt._ =9=:37, 38. 1902. =6.= _W. N. Y.
Hort. Soc. Rpt._ 11. 1907. =7.= Waugh _Am. Peach Orch._ 202.
1913. =8.= _N. Y. State Fr. Gr. Assoc. Rpt._ 16. 1915.

_Balsey._ =9.= _U. S. D. A. Rpt._ 289. 1893.

Greensboro is one of the leading early, white-fleshed peaches. It takes high place because of its showy fruits and its large, vigorous, healthy, early-bearing and prolific trees. In the last character, in particular, Greensboro is almost supreme--year in and year out, barring accidents, its trees are fruitful. Possibly, too, no other white-fleshed peach is adapted to a greater variety of soils than Greensboro which, with fair capacity to stand heat and cold, makes it suitable for wide variations in peach-regions. The peaches, while handsome, as the color-plate shows, are in no way remarkable, the quality, if anything, being rather inferior, so that it is the tree that gives Greensboro its standing. The variety is well thought of by fruit-dealers not only on account of the attractive product but because the fruits carry well and keep long. Possibly the peaches are less susceptible to brown-rot than most other varieties of Greensboro's season but to offset this advantage there are many cracked pits and accompanying mal-formed fruits. Picked green the stone clings; picked at maturity the variety may be called a freestone. All in all, Greensboro is one of the best early, market peaches for New York.

Greensboro is a seedling of Connett grown by W. G. Balsey, Greensboro, North Carolina, about 1891. It was introduced by John A. Young of Greensboro as Balsey, this name being changed to Greensboro in 1894. Greensboro was added to the list of fruits recommended by the American Pomological Society in 1899.

Tree very large, spreading, open-topped, hardy, very
productive; trunk thick, shaggy; branches stocky, smooth,
reddish-brown covered with light ash-gray; branchlets
slender, long, with short internodes, dark red intermingled
with olive-green, glossy, smooth, glabrous, with very small,
conspicuous lenticels.

Leaves six and one-half inches long, one and one-half inches
wide, folded upward, recurved, oval to obovate-lanceolate,
thick, leathery; upper surface dark green, smooth, rugose along
the midrib; lower surface grayish-green; margin finely serrate,
tipped with reddish-brown glands; petiole one-half inch long,
with one to five reniform, reddish-brown glands usually at the
base of the blade.

Flower-buds hardy, large, medium to long, conical or obtuse,
very plump, strongly pubescent, usually free; season of bloom
early; flowers pale pink, one and three-fourths inches across,
usually in twos; pedicels very short, glabrous; calyx-tube dull
reddish-green, lemon-yellow within, campanulate, glabrous;
calyx-lobes very broad, obtuse, glabrous within, pubescent
without; petals round-ovate, tapering to short, narrow claws
red at the base; filaments one-half inch long, shorter than the
petals; pistil pubescent at the base, equal to the stamens in
length.

Fruit matures early; two and one-half inches long, two and
three-eighths inches wide, oblong-oval, often oblique,
bulged at one side, compressed, with unequal sides; cavity
deep, narrow, abrupt; suture shallow, deepening toward the
cavity; apex roundish, with a small, mucronate tip; color
creamy-white, blushed red, with a few stripes of darker red
intermingling; pubescence heavy, nearly tomentose; skin rather
tough, separates from the pulp; flesh white, very juicy,
tender and melting, mild, sweet, sprightly; fair in quality;
stone semi-clinging, one and seven-sixteenths inches long, one
inch wide, winged on both sides, ovate, strongly bulged along
one side, with short grooves on the surfaces; ventral suture
narrow, deeply grooved along the sides; dorsal suture grooved,
winged.

HALE EARLY

=1.= _Mag. Hort._ =27=:65, 66. 1861. =2.= _Am. Pom. Soc.
Cat._ 78. 1862. =3.= _Gard. Mon._ =5=:68, 69, 198, 277, 278.
1863. =4.= _Horticulturist_ =18=:63, 64, 197, 198, 242, 243
fig., 244. 1863. =5.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 615. 1869. =6.=
_Horticulturist_ =27=:23, 304. 1872. =7.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._
37. 1909.

_Précoce de Hale._ =8.= Mas _Le Verger_ =7=:193, 194, fig. 95.
1866-73.

_Hale._ =9.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 44. 1891. =10.= _Mich. Sta.
Bul._ =169=:215. 1899.

In the middle of the last century, Hale Early was considered the best peach of its season for home and market. Even now it has several characters to recommend it; as, large, vigorous, hardy, healthy, productive trees, fruits handsome in color, uniform in size and shape, with flesh more than ordinarily free from the stone for an early peach, fair quality for the season and extreme earliness. The chief fault is that the peaches run small in size, scarcely exceeding large marbles, which they resemble in roundness. The variety must be grown in the best of peach-lands, heavily thinned, and the trees severely pruned. The peaches, besides being small, are very susceptible to brown-rot. Nowhere very commonly planted, the variety is still widely distributed, a fact, in view of the competition with many early peaches, which speaks well for a peach introduced more than fifty years ago. It is interesting to note that Hale Early was introduced into Europe many years ago and that European pomologists still speak highly of it.

Hale Early grew from a seed planted in 1850 by a German named Moas at Randolph, Portage County, Ohio. A few years later the attention of a Mr. Hale, Summit County, Ohio, was called to the seedling and he, impressed with its earliness, began to propagate it. About 1859 the variety was introduced by Hale and Jewett, nurserymen in Summit County, as Hale's Early German. In some localities it became known as Early German but finally the name Hale's Early was adopted. It was so listed in the American Pomological Society's fruit-catalog in 1862 but in 1891 the name was changed to Hale so to remain until 1909 when it appeared in the Society's catalog as Hale Early. The adoption of the last name is warranted, possibly, from the fact that another peach named Hale existed several years before the origin of the present sort.

Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, hardy, variable
in productiveness; trunk thick; branches stocky, smooth,
reddish-brown mingled with ash-gray; branchlets long, dark
pinkish-red with a trace of olive-green, glossy, smooth,
glabrous, with rather few large, conspicuous lenticels.

Leaves flat or curled downward, six and one-fourth inches
long, one and one-fourth inches wide, long-oval to
obovate-lanceolate, thin, leathery; upper surface dark green,
smooth; lower surface grayish-green; margin finely serrate,
often in two series, tipped with reddish-brown glands; petiole
three-eighths inch long, glandless or with one to four small,
globose, reddish-brown glands usually at the base of the blade.

Flower-buds conical or pointed, plump, pubescent, usually free;
blossoms appear in mid-season; flowers dark pink at the center,
with lighter pink toward the margin and with streaks of light
pink along the veins, one and one-half inches across, usually
single; pedicels short, glabrous, green, with a few reddish
dots; calyx-tube dull green mottled with red, with varying
shades of orange within, campanulate, glabrous; calyx-lobes
broad, usually obtuse, pubescent within and without, with
longer hairs along the edges, erect; petals round or inclined
to oval, entire, notched on both sides near the claws which
are short, broad and tinged with red near the base; filaments
one-half inch long, shorter than the petals; pistil finely
pubescent at the ovary, longer than the stamens.

Fruit matures early; one and three-fourths inches long, one
and seven-eighths inches wide, round, slightly compressed,
with unequal halves; cavity regular, medium to deep, wide,
flaring; suture shallow, with a slight bulge near the apex;
apex roundish or flattened, ending abruptly in a short, sharp,
recurved point; color creamy-white, with an attractive blush
extending over one-half of the surface; pubescence short,
thick; skin tough, free; flesh white, juicy, tender, sweet,
with some astringency; good in quality; stone semi-free, one
and five-sixteenths inches long, fifteen-sixteenths inch wide,
ovate or oval, plump, with a short-pointed apex, surfaces
marked by short grooves; ventral suture deep along the sides,
narrow; dorsal suture deeply grooved, winged.

HEATH CLING

=1.= Prince _Treat. Fr. Trees_ 17. 1820. =2.= Kenrick _Am.
Orch._ 234. 1832. =3.= _Proc. Nat. Con. Fr. Gr._ 51. 1848. =4.=
_Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 78. 1862. =5.= Fulton _Peach Cult._ 197,
198. 1908.

_Heath._ =6.= Coxe _Cult. Fr. Trees_ 228. 1817. =7.= _Lond.
Hort. Soc. Rpt._ 97. 1831. =8.= Prince _Pom. Man._ =2=:29,
30. 1832. =9.= Downing _Fr. Trees Am._ 494, 495. 1845. =10.=
Floy-Lindley _Guide Orch. Gard._ 187, 188. 1846. =11.=
Elliott _Fr. Book_ 274, 275. 1854. =12.= Mas _Le Verger_
=7=:207, 208, fig. 102. 1866-73. =13.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 37.
1909.

_White English._ =14.= _Horticulturist_ N. S. =7=:178, 179.
1857.

Heath Cling is unquestionably the oldest named American peach now under cultivation. Its antiquity constitutes about its only claim to recognition though for its tree-characters and for at least one fruit-character it ought to be retained for breeding. Few varieties have larger, healthier, hardier trees than Heath Cling, the fact that the oldest of our peaches has from the first retained these characters in pristine vigor confuting the notion that varieties degenerate. In the descriptions of Chinese peaches in Chapter 1, we read of winter peaches--sorts that could be kept for three or four months after picking. Of all American peaches, Heath Cling, possibly, most nearly approaches these Chinese winter peaches. It has been known to keep in good condition from October to December. Its quality, at best, is good but often it runs poor. Well grown, the peach has a sweet, rich, vinous taste but the flesh adheres so tightly to the stone that it is not pleasant eating out of hand though splendid cooked, preserved or pickled, the stone in culinary operations imparting a pleasant flavor of peach-pit bitterness. It is the best of all peaches to preserve or pickle whole. The color-plate shows the blushed sides of Heath Cling and therefore too much red for typical specimens of this variety.

Just how old Heath Cling is no one knows but it probably was grown in the colonies before the Revolution. Two accounts are given of its origin. According to one it originated with Daniel Heath of Maryland from a pit brought from the Mediterranean. Another is that the honor of originating this peach belongs in the Prince family and that the first William Prince discovered the variety growing wild on the farm of Judge Willet, Flushing, New York. The Princes, according to this account, gave it the name Heath because it was found on a barren heath. It seems fairly well established that the variety was in the Prince orchards before the Revolutionary War whether or not it was found and named by them.

Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, hardy, unproductive;
trunk shaggy; branches stocky, reddish-brown covered with
light ash-gray; branchlets long, dark red intermingled
with olive-green, glossy, smooth, glabrous, with numerous
conspicuous, large, raised lenticels.

Leaves six and one-fourth inches long, one and one-half inches
wide, folded upward, recurving, oval to obovate-lanceolate,
leathery; upper surface dark green, rugose; lower surface
grayish-green; margin finely serrate, tipped with reddish-brown
glands; petiole one-half inch long, with two to seven small,
mostly reniform, reddish-brown glands usually at the base of
the leaf.

Flower-buds tender, medium to small, short, conical or pointed,
plump, pubescent, free; blossoms appear in mid-season; flowers
a faded pink, white at the center of the petals, about
three-fourths inch across; pedicels short, medium to thick,
glabrous, green; calyx-tube reddish-green; calyx-lobes short,
broad, obtuse, glabrous within, pubescent without; petals
roundish-oval, tapering to short, broad claws occasionally with
a red base; filaments one-fourth inch long, shorter than the
petals; pistil pubescent near the base, longer than the stamens.

Fruit matures very late; two and one-eighth inches long,
two and one-fourth inches wide, round-oval, compressed and
somewhat angular, with unequal sides; cavity variable in
depth and width, abrupt or flaring; suture shallow, extending
beyond the apex; apex ending in a swollen, pointed tip; color
creamy-white, blushed with red, splashed and mottled with
darker red; pubescence short, thick, fine; skin thin, adhering
to the pulp; flesh white, juicy, firm and meaty but tender,
sweet or somewhat sprightly; good in quality; stone clinging,
one and one-fourth inches long, seven-eighths inch wide, oval,
plump, flattened and pointed toward the base, tapering to a
short point at the apex, with dark brown, grooved surfaces;
ventral suture deep along the sides, thick, furrowed; dorsal
suture grooved.

HEATH FREE

=1.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 37. 1909. =2.= Waugh _Am. Peach
Orch._ 203. 1913.

_Kenrick Heath._ =3.= Prince _Treat. Hort._ 17. 1828. =4.=
Prince _Pom. Man._ =2=:30, 31. 1832. =5.= Downing _Fr. Trees
Am._ 479. 1845. =6.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 78. 1862. =7.=
Budd-Hansen _Am. Hort. Man._ =2=:348. 1903.

_Heath._ =8.= Kenrick _Am. Orch._ 226, 227. 1832.

Heath Free is now rarely planted, being replaced by better sorts--in fact it was out of date a quarter-century ago when the American Pomological Society dropped it from its fruit-list. We can see no justification of the Society's action in restoring the variety to its list ten years later. The tree-characters of Heath Free seem to be, in the main, very good but the peaches are not at all attractive in appearance and none too good in quality--at best it is but a culinary sort. Possibly it is worth growing under some conditions as a late, white-fleshed peach.

Heath Free is another old variety, a native of New England. Kenrick, one of the first American pomologists, received the variety from General Heath, Roxbury, Massachusetts, early in the Nineteenth Century. Later, Kenrick sent it to Prince at Flushing, New York, who is credited with having distributed it. The variety should not be confused with Heath Cling. Ripening at the latter end of the peach-season, the term "Late" is often attached to the name. In 1862 the American Pomological Society put this peach on its fruit-list under the name Kenrick Heath but dropped it from the list in 1899. Ten years later, 1909, the variety was replaced in the Society's catalog as Heath Free.

Tree very large, vigorous, upright-spreading, open-topped,
unproductive; trunk thick, somewhat shaggy; branches stocky,
smooth, reddish-brown covered with very light ash-gray;
branchlets long, with many short, spur-like branches near the
tips, with internodes dark red intermingled with olive-green,
glossy, smooth, glabrous, with numerous conspicuous lenticels,
raised near the base and tip.

Leaves seven and one-eighth inches long, one and three-fourths
inches wide, folded upward, recurved slightly, long-oval
to obovate-lanceolate, rather thin; upper surface dark
green, smooth becoming rugose near the midrib; lower surface
grayish-green; margin finely serrate, with reddish-brown
glands; petiole one-half inch long, with two to five reniform,
reddish-brown glands usually on the petiole.

Flower-buds half-hardy, conical or pointed, very pubescent,
free; blossoms appear in mid-season; flowers dark pink along
the margins of the petals changing to white toward their
centers, well distributed; pedicels short, glabrous, green;
calyx-tube reddish-green, yellow within, campanulate, glabrous;
calyx-lobes short, narrow, acute to obtuse, glabrous within,
pubescent without; petals small, narrow-oval, often broadly
notched near the base, tapering to short, broad claws red at
the base; filaments one-fourth inch long, equal to the petals
in length; pistil pubescent at the base, longer than the
stamens.

Fruit matures in late mid-season; two and one-eighth inches
long, two and one-fourth inches thick, roundish-oval to
oblong-oval, often strongly compressed, with halves nearly
equal; cavity medium to shallow, wide, flaring, contracted
along the sides, with tender skin; suture shallow; apex
roundish, with a depressed, mucronate tip; color creamy-white,
blushed or mottled with red, with splashes of deeper red;
pubescence rather coarse, thick; skin thick, tough, adherent
to the pulp; flesh white, bronzed at the pit, juicy, coarse,
firm but tender, mild subacid with some astringency; good in
quality; stone free, one and three-eighths inches long, one
inch wide, flattened near the base, oval, with long grooves
deeply sunken in the surfaces; ventral suture deeply furrowed
along the edges, wide; dorsal suture grooved, faintly winged.

HILEY

=1.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt._ 170. 1899. =2.= _Del. Sta. Rpt._
=13=:102 fig. 7, 103. 1901. =3.= _U. S. D. A. Yearbook_ 271,
272, Pl. 34. 1903. =4.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 37. 1909.

_Early Belle._ =5.= Budd-Hansen _Am. Hort. Man._ =2=:342. 1903.
=6.= _W. N. Y. Hort. Soc. Rpt._ 12. 1907.

In spite of keen competition with many other early, white-fleshed peaches, there seems to be a place for Hiley. Two characters make it notable in its class. It is the earliest commercial freestone, white-fleshed peach and it is rather better in quality than most of its competitors. Well grown, the peaches are large in size and handsomely colored but the fruits are not quite as uniform in either size or color as could be desired for a commercial variety. The trees, while productive, are neither large nor sufficiently hardy and vigorous to make an ideal commercial sort. Still, we must end as we began, with the statement that there is a place for Hiley because of earliness and high quality. The fruits, unfortunately, are easy prey to brown-rot.

Hiley originated with Eugene Hiley, Marshallville, Georgia, about 1886. Seeds of several varieties, including Belle and Elberta, were planted and from these sprang one tree which bore the fruit under discussion. R. A. Hiley, who seems to have first discovered its value, is of the opinion that this variety is a seedling of Belle crossed with Alexander. The new peach was first named Early Belle and the first crops were shipped under this name. Later the name was changed to Hiley. The American Pomological Society placed the variety on its fruit-list in 1909.

Tree medium in size, lacking in vigor, upright-spreading,
open-topped, very productive; trunk thick; branches stocky,
smooth, reddish-brown covered with light ash-gray; branchlets
with short internodes, brownish-red heavily overlaid with
olive-green, smooth, glabrous, with conspicuous lenticels
variable in number and size.

Leaves six and one-fourth inches long, one and one-half inches
wide, folded upwards to nearly flattened, narrow-oval to
obovate-lanceolate, leathery; upper surface dull, dark green,
mottled, nearly smooth; lower surface grayish-green; margin
finely serrate, tipped with reddish-brown glands; petiole
three-eighths inch long, glandless or with one to eight small,
globose and reniform, greenish-yellow glands variable in
position.

Flower-buds tender, obtuse, plump, heavily pubescent, appressed
or nearly so; blossoms appear in mid-season; flowers pink,
one and seven-eighths inches across, often in twos; pedicels
glabrous, greenish; calyx-tube dull, dark reddish-green,
greenish-yellow within, obconic, glabrous; calyx-lobes broad,
obtuse, glabrous within, heavily pubescent without; petals
roundish-ovate, tapering to long, broad claws red at the base;
filaments one-half inch long, shorter than the petals; pistil
pubescent at the ovary, equal to or often longer than the
stamens.

Fruit matures in mid-season; two and three-eighths inches
long, two and one-fourth inches thick, roundish-conic to
oblong-conic, bulged near the apex, with unequal halves; cavity
abrupt, the skin tender and tearing easily; suture shallow,
deepening toward the apex; apex pointed; color greenish-yellow
with a dull blush often extending over one-half the surface,
more or less mottled; pubescence thick, fine, short; skin
thin, tough, separates from the pulp when fully ripe; flesh
creamy-white, stained red at the pit, stringy, firm but tender,
with a distinct, pleasant flavor, sprightly; good in quality;
stone semi-free to free, one and three-eighths inches long,
seven-eighths inch wide, elliptical to ovate, pointed at both
ends, with nearly smooth surfaces; ventral suture rather wide
and with deep furrows along the sides; dorsal suture a small
groove.

HYNES

=1.= _Tex. Sta. Bul._ =39=:812. 1896. =2.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._
33. 1899. =3.= _Ont. Fr. Exp. Sta. Rpt._ =8=:14 fig. 1901. =4.=
Budd-Hansen _Am. Hort. Man._ =2=:348. 1903.

_Hynes Surprise._ =5.= _W. N. Y. Hort. Soc. Rpt._ 50. 1879.
=6.= _Ibid._ 111. 1880. =7.= _U. S. D. A. Pom. Rpt._ 42. 1895.

Coming at a season when there are several very good, white-fleshed peaches, we doubt whether Hynes can establish itself in the peach-list for New York. The peaches are not quite large enough and the stone clings a little too tenaciously for a first-class early peach. The flavor is good for an early peach and when large enough the fruits are attractive, shape and coloring being particularly pleasing. Hynes was at one time highly recommended, widely advertised and largely sold in New York by nurserymen and fruit-growers in this State. We doubt if many are now planting it. The color-plate is an excellent reproduction of the variety.

Hynes was grown about 1877 by E. F. Hynes, West Plains, Missouri. Its parentage is unknown. The variety soon became disseminated as a valuable early, commercial peach. At first it was known as Hynes Surprise but gradually the name has been shortened to Hynes. The late S. D. Willard, Geneva, New York, grew and recommended this variety for a number of years and by some has been given the credit of having originated and introduced it. The American Pomological Society put Hynes on its fruit-list in 1899.

Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, open-topped, hardy,
medium in productiveness; trunk thick; branches stocky, smooth,
reddish-brown with a small amount of ash-gray; branchlets long,
with internodes of medium length, dark red intermingled with
olive-green, glossy, smooth, glabrous, with conspicuous, large
lenticels.

Leaves six and one-half inches long, about one and one-half
inches wide, oval to obovate-lanceolate, leathery, dull, dark
green, smooth; lower surface grayish-green; apex tapering
to a long, narrow point; margin finely serrate, tipped with
reddish-brown glands; petiole three-eighths inch long, with
one to five small, globose, brownish-yellow glands variable in
position.

Flower-buds hardy, small, short, obtuse, plump, slightly
pubescent, usually appressed; blossoms appear in mid-season;
flowers dark pink at the center, light pink near the edges,
often in twos; pedicels short, medium to thick, glabrous,
greenish; calyx-tube reddish-green, greenish-yellow within,
campanulate, glabrous; calyx-lobes short, medium to broad,
obtuse, glabrous within, pubescent without; petals broadly
oval, irregular in outline, tapering to claws often red at the
base; filaments one-half inch long, shorter than the petals;
pistil pubescent near the base, equal to the stamens in length.

Fruit matures early; two and one-half inches long, two and
one-fourth inches wide, round-oblate, with halves usually
equal; cavity wide, flaring; suture shallow, becoming deeper
near the tip; apex flattened or roundish, ending abruptly in
a short, sharp point; color greenish or creamy-white, with
a dull, dark red blush, splashed and mottled with carmine;
pubescence thin, short, fine; skin thin, tender, variable in
adherence to the pulp; flesh greenish-white, with a red stain
under the skin and often rayed with red about the pit, juicy,
stringy, tender and melting, sweet, mild; fair to good in
quality; stone nearly free, one and one-fourth inches long,
seven-eighths inch wide, bulged on one side, ovate, very plump,
with surfaces pitted and with short, narrow grooves; ventral
suture furrowed, very deeply grooved at the edges; dorsal
suture wide, deeply grooved.

ILLINOIS

=1.= _N. J. Hort. Soc. Rpt._ 36. 1912. =2.= Stark Bros. _Cat._
37 fig. 1913. =3.= Waugh _Am. Peach Orch._ 203. 1913. =4.=
Stark Bros. _Cat._ 43. 1914.

Illinois is a mid-season, white-fleshed, freestone peach, still on probation with what result as to commercial possibilities we should not like to predict. It has been little tried in New York and growers in other peach-regions are not in accord as to its value. In size, color and shape of fruit, as the color-plate shows, Illinois is one of the beauties of the orchard. Yet, all things considered, the new variety is not as good as Champion with which it would have to compete. Neither tree- nor fruit-characters are quite satisfactory as the variety grows on the Station grounds. It must be apparent, too, to all peach-growers that the industry is overloaded with white-fleshed peaches which at best must be sold in nearby markets or grown for home use.

Illinois originated about 1910 on the grounds of E. H. Riehl near North Alton, Illinois. It is supposed to be a cross between Stark Heath and Washington.

Tree medium in size and vigor, upright to spreading, hardy,
very productive; trunk thick; branches stocky, smooth, dark
reddish-brown overlaid by ash-gray; branchlets slender, short,
with internodes dark red and olive-green, smooth, glabrous,
with a few inconspicuous, raised lenticels variable in size.

Leaves five and one-half inches long, one and one-half inches
wide, curled under at the tips, ovate-lanceolate, thin,
leathery; upper surface dull, dark green, rugose along the
midrib; lower surface olive-green; margin deeply and sharply
serrate, the serrations often in two series, tipped with small
glands; petiole three-eighths inch long, glandless.

Flower-buds medium to large, obtuse or conical, plump,
pubescent, appressed; blossoms appear in mid-season; flowers
variable in color, over one inch across, often in twos;
pedicels short, greenish, glabrous; calyx-tube reddish-green,
greenish-yellow within, campanulate, glabrous; calyx-lobes
medium to broad, obtuse, glabrous within, pubescent without;
petals oval, crenate, often broadly notched near the base,
tapering to narrow claws with a tinge of red at the base;
filaments one-half inch long, equal to the petals in length;
pistil pubescent at the base, as long as the stamens.

Fruit matures in early mid-season; two and one-fourth inches
long, two and one-half inches wide, round-oblate, compressed,
the halves usually unequal; cavity deep, abrupt, often tinged
with red; suture shallow, deepening toward the apex; apex
roundish, with a mucronate tip; color creamy-white, blushed
with dull, dark red and mottled with splashes of brighter red;
pubescence heavy; skin tough; flesh white, stained red near
the pit, juicy, tender and melting, sweet; good in quality;
stone semi-free to free, one and one-fourth inches long,
fifteen-sixteenths inch wide, oval or obovate, not bulged,
slightly elongated toward the base, plump, short-pointed at the
apex, with grooved and pitted surfaces; ventral suture winged,
of medium width, deeply grooved along the edges; dorsal suture
deeply grooved.

IMPERIAL

=1.= _La. Sta. Bul._ =27=:943. 1894. =2.= _Tex. Sta. Bul._
=39=:819. 1896. =3.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 22. 1897. =4.= _Ala.
Sta. Bul._ =117=:305. 1901. =5.= _Fla. Sta. Bul._ =73=:148,
Pls. 3 & 4. 1904. =6.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 37. 1909. =7.=
_Ala. Sta. Bul._ =156=:133. 1911.

Of the several honey-flavored peaches fruiting on the Station grounds, Imperial is probably the best. The fruit is not easily distinguished in appearance from that of Climax, at least by those unfamiliar with southern peaches, and is also rather closely allied to Honey in outward character but has a somewhat distinct flavor in which it surpasses Climax and Honey. It differs from both, too, in time of ripening. The peaches of this, as of other honey-flavored sorts, drop badly as they mature. It is doubtful if we shall ever grow pure-bred peaches of the Honey type in New York for the markets, but Imperial, at least, is worth a place in every home orchard where it does not have to brave too great a degree of cold; and peach-breeders should seize the opportunity to cross it with our less richly flavored northern varieties.

Imperial is a seedling of Honey grown in 1890 by G. L. Taber, Glen Saint Mary, Florida. This variety has been much confused with White Imperial, a sort grown in New York many years ago but long since out of cultivation. Pomologists frequently list White Imperial as a synonym of Imperial, giving the origin as New York, when the variety in mind is the true Imperial of southern origin. Imperial was listed in the American Pomological Society's catalog in 1897 but was dropped in 1899. It appears again, however, in the Society's catalog in 1909 under the name Imperial with White Imperial incorrectly given as a synonym.

Tree medium in size or small, upright-spreading, round-topped,
productive; trunk thick, rough; branches stocky, roughened,
reddish-brown intermingled more or less with ash-gray;
branchlets slender, often rebranching, long, with internodes
dark pinkish-red mingled with varying shades of olive-green,
and with conspicuous, numerous, raised lenticels.

Leaves six and one-fourth inches long, one and one-half inches
wide, flattened, lanceolate, leathery; upper surface dull, dark
green; lower surface olive-green; margin finely and shallowly
serrate, tipped with glands; petiole three-eighths inch long,
with one to four small, reniform glands usually at the base of
the blade.

Flower-buds small, medium to short, conical or obtuse,
pubescent, plump, usually appressed; blossoms appear in
mid-season; flowers medium in size, showy, light pink, usually
single; pedicels medium in length and thickness, green;
calyx-tube reddish-green, orange-green within, obconic;
calyx-lobes acute or obtuse, glabrous within, pubescent
without; petals roundish, tapering to claws tinged with red at
the base; filaments equal to or shorter than the petals; pistil
pubescent.

Fruit matures late; two and one-half inches long, two and
three-sixteenths inches wide, oval, with unequal halves; cavity
shallow, medium in width, flaring; suture very shallow, often
indistinct toward the cavity; apex distinctly elongated; color
pale green becoming whitish, with faint mottlings and with a
distinct or faint blush; pubescence short, thick; skin tough,
adhering to the pulp; flesh white, stained with red near the
pit, juicy, fine-grained, tender and melting, very sweet and
of a delightful flavor; very good to best; stone free, one and
three-eighths inches long, thirteen-sixteenths inch wide, oval
or ovate, not very plump, bulged at one side, long and pointed
at the apex, with roughish and pitted surfaces, dark brown
mingled with purplish-red; ventral suture rather narrow, often
winged, deeply grooved along the edges; dorsal suture grooved.

IRON MOUNTAIN

=1.= _Mich. Sta. Bul._ =152=:197, 200. 1898. =2.= _Ibid._
=169=:217. 1899. =3.= _Rural N. Y._ =58=:738 fig. 271. 1899.
=4.= _Am. Pom. Soc. Cat._ 37. 1909. =5.= Waugh _Am. Peach
Orch._ 203. 1913.

Hardiness is the outstanding character which has brought Iron Mountain into prominence. The introducer and many growers claim extreme hardiness of wood and bud for the variety--others say that it is surpassed by Crosby, Wager and other varieties of their type. The trees on the Station grounds turned out not to be true to name so that we can offer no data as to hardiness. Iron Mountain is a very late, white-fleshed, freestone peach well adapted for extending the commercial limits for this fruit in regions where fall frosts hold off sufficiently long for the fruit to ripen. The tree-characters are reported by most growers as very satisfactory and the peaches serve very well for culinary purposes but are not sufficiently attractive for a dessert fruit though the quality is excellent. There seem to be two varieties, much alike in fruit, passing under this name; one is large-flowered, the other small-flowered. This variety might well be planted in New York for some markets; as, for example, near towns and cities where it is desirable to extend the local market as late as possible.

Iron Mountain seems to have originated in New Jersey about a quarter-century ago but nothing is known of its parentage or by whom grown. The variety was introduced by J. H. Lindley, Whitehouse, New Jersey. It was put on the fruit-list of the American Pomological Society in 1909.

Tree large, vigorous, upright-spreading, open-topped, not
always productive; trunk thick; branches smooth, dark ash-gray
mingled with reddish-brown; branchlets medium to slender, with
internodes of medium length, greenish-brown, smooth, glabrous,
with numerous small, raised lenticels.

Leaves six inches long, one and one-half inches wide, folded
upward and recurved, oval to obovate-lanceolate, medium in
thickness, leathery; upper surface dark green, smooth; lower
surface light green, with a prominent midrib; margin glandular,
finely serrate; petiole three-eighths inch long, with one to
six reniform glands of medium size, usually on the petiole;
flower-buds medium to small, conical, free; season of bloom
late; flowers small.

Fruit matures very late; two and three-fourths inches long,
two and five-eighths inches thick, oblong-oval, often bulged
on one side, compressed; cavity contracted, below medium in
depth, flaring; suture shallow, extending only to the tip;
apex distinctly mucronate or roundish, sometimes tapering;
color pale greenish or creamy-white, occasionally with a
light blush; pubescence heavy; skin medium to thin, tender,
adherent to the pulp; flesh white, stained brown next to the
pit, juicy, tender, sweet, mild; quality good; stone semi-free
one and five-eighths inches long, more than one inch wide,
somewhat wedge-like at the base, obovate, plump, long-pointed
at the apex, winged, with large, wide and deep grooves in the
surfaces; ventral suture with wide, deep furrows; dorsal suture
grooved deeply, winged.

J. H. HALE

=1.= W. P. Stark _Cat._ 45-55. 1913. =2.= Waugh _Am. Peach
Orch._ 203. 1913.

Of many new peaches, J. H. Hale is now the leading aspirant for pomological honors. Indeed, it is one of the sensations of the pomological world, the variety having many merits to commend it and the name and fame of the originator and of the introducers, together with extensive advertising, helping much to bring the peach to the attention of fruit-growers. Elberta is now the standard commercial peach and, since J. H. Hale must make its way in competition with the variety in command of the markets, we can best set forth the characters of the new sort by comparing it with Elberta with which all are familiar. The comparison is easy to make, for the two peaches are of the same general type, Elberta, probably, being one of the parents of J. H. Hale.

In size of fruit, J. H. Hale averages larger--all things considered a trifle too large when the trees are at their best. The flesh of J. H. Hale is firmer and heavier and the peaches will ship and keep longer than those of Elberta. In shape, the fruit is almost a perfect sphere, its symmetry being scarcely marred by the suture so that it is more shapely than the oblong Elberta and can, of course, be packed to better advantage. The color-plates of the two peaches show the differences in shape very well. In color of fruit there is no choice--both peaches are voluptuously handsome. The skin of J. H. Hale is less pubescent and possibly a little firmer and tighter, characters adding to the appearance and shipping qualities of the fruit. It is but an invitation to argument to say which is the better in the characters that go to please the palate--flavor, aroma, texture and juiciness. Neither, in comparison with many other peaches, can be rated as extra good.

Unfortunately we cannot be as certain of the merits of the trees of the two varieties as we are of the fruits. This much we know, J. H. Hale is a few days earlier than Elberta and its trees and buds are hardier than those of Elberta. Which is the more productive is not certain and this can be ascertained only when data can be had from a large number of growers since productiveness in both is bound to vary with the soil. The greatest asset of Elberta is its ability to adapt itself to diverse soils; whether J. H. Hale is equally elastic in constitution remains to be seen. The variety is still on probation in New York with the chances growing stronger each year that it will take high place among commercial peaches. We do not expect it to drive Elberta from the markets but the markets will be shared between the two, J. H. Hale reaching the fruit-stands several days in advance of Elberta. Would that there were as good a commercial variety to follow Elberta.

This remarkable variety is a chance seedling found by J. H. Hale, South Glastonbury, Connecticut. From its characters, one sees at once that it is either an offspring or is very closely related to Elberta--at first many thought the two were identical. After having thoroughly tested the new variety in commercial orchards in both Connecticut and Georgia, Mr. Hale decided that it was worth introducing and sold the new peach to the William P. Stark Nurseries, Stark City, Missouri. The distribution of the variety was begun in 1912 and possibly no other tree-fruit has ever been so rapidly propagated and so widely distributed as has the J. H. Hale in the past four years.

Tree vigorous, upright-spreading, open-topped, productive;
trunk of medium thickness, smooth; branches smooth, ash-gray
overspread with dark reddish-brown; branchlets medium in
thickness and length, with long internodes, olive-green
overspread with red, smooth, glabrous.

Leaves six and three-fourths inches long, one and three-fourths
inches wide, folded upward, recurving at the tip, lanceolate,
thin, leathery; upper surface dark green, smooth becoming
rugose along the midrib; lower surface olive-green, with
prominent midrib; margin singly or doubly serrate; petiole
five-sixteenths inch long, thick, with one to five reniform,
dark brown glands of medium size; flowers appear in mid-season.

Fruit matures in mid-season; three inches long, three and
one-fourth inches wide, regular, round, with equal halves;
cavity deep, wide, regular; suture a mere line, very shallow or
with almost no depression; apex roundish, with a small tip set
in a depression; color lemon-yellow overspread with attractive
dark red and with mottlings and splashes of carmine; pubescence
light; skin thick, tough, separates but poorly from the pulp;
flesh yellow, red around the pit, juicy, fine-grained, sweet
or somewhat sprightly; good in quality; stone free, one and
three-fourths inches long, one and one-fourth inches wide,
oval, plump, flattened at the base, pointed at the apex, with
grooved and pitted surfaces; ventral suture furrowed, deeply
grooved along the sides; dorsal suture winged, deeply grooved.

JENNIE WORTHEN

=1.= _Mich. Sta. Bul._ =31=:58. 1887. =2.= Munson _Cat._ 8.
1890-91. =3.= _Ill. Hort. Soc. Rpt._ 183. 1898.

_Worthen._ =4.= _U. S. D. A. Pom. Rpt._ 44. 1895. =5.= _Mich.
Sta. Bul._ =169=:229. 1899.

_Jennie._ =6.= _Tex. Sta. Bul._ =39=:812. 1896.

Jennie Worthen is given a place among the major varieties in _The Peaches of New York_ with the hope that New York growers may be induced to try it as a high-grade, yellow-fleshed, freestone variety to precede Elberta. It is enough to say that it is very similar to Early Crawford--best of all early peaches--and on the Station grounds is more productive, unproductiveness being the fault that keeps Early Crawford from being a money-making variety. Whether or not Jennie Worthen can be grown commercially, it is well worth planting in the home orchard.

But little is known of the history of this variety. According to a letter from the late T. V. Munson, Denison, Texas, it originated in Illinois with a Mr. Worthen and was named for his daughter. The Munson Nursery grew the variety for a few years after its introduction but has since discontinued its propagation.

Tree large, vigorous, spreading, hardy, productive; trunk
thick, smooth; branches thick, nearly smooth, reddish-brown
mingled with light ash-gray; branchlets of medium thickness,
tending to rebranch near the tips, with internodes of medium
length, dark pinkish-red intermingled with green, glossy,
smooth, glabrous, with numerous conspicuous, small, raised
lenticels.

Leaves six and one-half inches long, one and three-eighths
inches wide, curled both upward and downward, oval to
obovate-lanceolate, thin, leathery; upper surface dark
green, rugose near the base of the midrib; lower surface
grayish-green; margin finely serrate, tipped with
reddish-brown glands; petiole one-half inch long, glandless or
with one to six reniform, reddish-brown glands of medium size,
variable in position.