The Florida agriculturist., 1889-05-15


orgrafted with such varieties as the amateur had
known in his native home Often these few old
peach trees had attained considerable age and
size; and the planter would tell me that at one
time they would not bear again at some seasons
tney bore full OF peaches Would say latter a
cold winter we have plenty of peaches" found
that sections though only dozen miles inter-
vened had much to do with this fruit or no
peaches question:; that sections OF compar.
atvey little frost, is often the case where there
is water protection, or other places away from
those modifying Influences where the mean temper
ature in winter was often much lower during the
cold season, there would be fruit in the one Sec
tion, while in the other there would be peaches
found that the strain ofpeaches the trees belonged
to had much to do in the ematter None of the Per-
sian type have Hound to produce crop in my Sec
tion The most of the trees, however. were termed
Natives, is itcalled the Spanish peach -
In my opinion, that strain first camefro Turkey
to Spain. and from there to South Carolina in it's
first settlement.
The season following the big Freeze all of the
old Natives" some that never before produced
a peach; (and know have not since,) in all sec
tions, bore more or less peaches In some in
stances in those frost sections, will call it for
better term. there some peaches the next sea-
son The next winter was vet more mild, and no
peaches comparatively on those natives.
A Mrs Selma of Zelwood, Orange county, some
ten years since, planted six trees OF the Peento
peach. She has told me they began to fruit when
a year planted, and they have produced fruit
every season since. have seen four full crops on
them myself. The Peento is native Tor I will say)
is found wild In the nearly tropical portion oi
Afghanistan. In it's organization it is a perennial
tree hence it's adaptability to our nearly tropical
section.
At Che time of my first acquaintance with the
Peento peach, it was said OF it that it always
"came true from seed," but that habit is now
broken up; and the State is full of seedlings oft
Peento that take on the form of the ordinary
peach, are Troublesome of them nearly oblong
in shape. have seen many of these changes in
different parts Of the State-three at Micanopy
five or six at Waldo, one at Zellwood by Mrs
Selma from seed OF her old tree three with A. A
& W. A. Marsh at Orlando, and more than a hun
dred with the late A. T. Bidwell
will also mention some other instances wher
this peculiar shaped fruit has moved out of it
| natural form, round peaches being produced on
Peento tree saw one specimen on one OF Mrs
showed me one; Judge Means at Evanston il
Marion county told me he found a round peacl
on an old Peento. Mr.. w K. Stager at Waldo
has a Peento tree. Two years ago found ont
limb with sixty-two fruits on it. Fourteen were
Peento. the rest round peaches, while the balance
OF the tree was carrying heavy crop of Peentos
I do not, as many do, think any of these
changes are hybrids believe them allsports. In
rio nd fho 0th lind
variation"
THE OLD NATIVE PEACH.
Some varieties of 1T seem much better suited to
our section than others. Some valueess az
the Persian; while when we have winters of three
or four degrees of frost they usually give fruit
One of them, a tree at Bay Ridge, very good
freestone, ripening in July, is one of the best
have met with.
1t has been thought that the Chinese peaches
would be better adapted here. have tried the
Chinese Cling but find it an entire failure, while
with Judge Means in the northern part of Marion
county, / found a young tree carrying sore fruit
have also tried several seedlings of it; two
varieties OF which are now on my grounds and to
day look as dormant as they would in Ohio Jan
uary lst, while the mercury now as sit is at 81
degrees, and the Peento and it's children are sci
full of fruit will say the same OF Honey and one
tree of the Spanish strain which while it is valu
able peach in the northern part OF the State now
has not sign of any spring life in it here.
The Honey has come nearer to success here but
have never this far south. since the season fol-
lowing the great freeze, seen tree that had been
planted three years holding q crop. have in q
very few instances, the past season. found trees
ono voar nIantnd holding a light cron The hest