The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-30
ORIGIN OF A FINE TREE.



Some thirty-five or forty years ago when
Bryant's Mnstrels had won more than a
local reputation, they left New York on n
tour of number of the Latin-American
countries. A well-known member of the
company, the late Cornelius O'Bryan
brought home with him peach stone which
he had retained as a souvenir of the par
ticularly luscious fruit he had gathered from
an orchard on monntainside in South
America
Nobody seems to know at this day in what
land OF the continent south of us that ORCH
ard was situated but there are persons
who remember hearing O'Bryan say that
he had never eaten finer peaches in his life
and if he could grow tree from that peach
stone he intended TO do it. He meant
what he said, got the best information as
to the proper way to grow peach trees from
the seed and began his experiment,
OBryan lived in his own house IN this
city on IA lot that is now known as 40
West Fortieth street He planted the peach
stone in his back yard which, having a
southern exposure, seemed to be most
favorable for peach culture, In due course
tiny sprig broke the surface and O'Bryan
was almost as happy as young father upon
That little sprout was cared for AZ tenderly
as ever plant was uurtured. Ii was shielded
from lusty winds, shaded from too fervid
sunshine, coaxed with well applied fertilizers
and tucked under warm covering of thick
| top dres sing when the frosts and snow
came. 1t responded to this kind and assidu-
! GUS attention as we'll as II knew how, and
| became better acclimated in the somewhat
| trying climate of New York city than many
| OF tho human inhabitants. Its stem thick
| ened, 1t put forth branches and abundant
| foliage, and in the course of time O'Bryan
! had the satisfaction of regaling himself
| and his friends with South American peaches
| grown in a New York back yard,
! When the stone was planted is not exactly
| known. but it was some time prior to 1867.
| The environment of the tree was not very
| fortunate, but it survived in spite of build
| ings and fences that insisted on crowding
around. Some ofits branches really needed
| the room that WAS usurped by the brick
wall of new house and it was necessary to
prlme the tree severely more than once
| to keep it on its own premises.
In 1874 the property came into the pos
session of Mr., Wallace P. Wllett. who
! found himself the owner of one large peach
tree in full bearing and carrying several
| bushels of fine fruit. That fall Mr.. Willett
exhibited twelve specimens of the fruit
at the American Institute fair Finer
| peaches are very seldom on exhibition.
Each specimen weighed twelve ounces
and measured twelve inches in circum-
ference. MIR. Wilett received the diploma
! of the institute for Seeding peaches"
! In 1875 Mr.. WIlett sent a few scions to
| c. l.. Van Duzen of Geneva, n. V, who
introduced = me following year Under the
name of ~Wietts Seeding" This name
has since been reduced to "Wiett,' in con-
formity with the rules of nomenclature of
the American Pathological Society, 1t is
now known to many growers in the North
for its hardness, beauty, excellent flavor
and large size, md has takenits plaCeamong
| the commercial peaches of the country.
| Cornelius O'Bryan did not live to know
| that from the peach stone he brought from
| the Far South were to spring thousands OF
| trees in our Northern orchards, and a
! standard fruit among peaches as the Con-
| cord is among grapes, though, of course,
| il has not equalled the ConCord's brilliant
| renown.
| Speaking of the Concord grape calls to
mind its own very humble origin. Every
| body knows that the Concord, though not
so delicate in flavor as some other grapes
| is the most widely known, the most gem
| orally planted and for all purposes is re-
garded as the best American grape yet
introduced. 1t is found in nearly every
American vineyard. The Chautauqua grape
belt on Lake Erie in 1900 produced 1872 GOO 600
pounds of grapes. of which at least nine
tenths were Concords.
If we were to visit the cottage of Mr.
Ephram Wales Bull, a few miles from
Concord, Mass, We should find in the door
yard, still living, the first Concord vine
from which stock the unnumbered millions
Of vines of this variety came This vine
was grown from the seed of a wild grape,
and the story is briefly told on square oak
board which now stands beside the vine:
looked about to see what | could find
among Wil1linHS. The thing 10