The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-10-15

ly l clipped the following from the
Yakima Republic because it presents
one of these curiosities with an at
tempt at explanation which does not
explain:
Probably eclipSing anything ever
found in the Yakima valley in the
shape of freak specimens of fruit is a
peach nectarine brought to the city
this morning by Architect w. w. De-
Veaux from his place of residence on
Yakima Heights. Mr. DeVeauX's find
probably solves the mystery OF the
nectarine found a few days ago by
Charles e. Druse on his Mob Hill
ranch.
without doubt the queer fruits are
formed by some industrious bee who,
while the trees were in blossom prob
ably brought pollen from nearby nee
tarine tree and planted it in the heart
of a peach blossom, thus uniting the
two fruit-prOduclng germs, which
when developed, formed the peach nee
tarine, or, if the nectarine germ hap
pened to be larger than the peach
germ, formed the whole nectarine.
"Mr. DeVeauX found on his peach
tree, besides the half and half varie-
ty, a perfectly formed nectarine. His
neighbOr, Mr.. Schwartz, has nee
tarine orchard across the road from
Mr.. DeVeauX's place, and both gentle
men, after discussing the phenomenon
and examining the fruit, decided that
the freak growth is the result of the
two germs being united by an ordinary
honey bee.
"The peach nectarine is about the
size of an ordinary early Crawford
peach. Mr.. DeVeauX ate the whole
nectarine and says the flavor was eX-
quisite. The peach nectarine is a
queer looking specimen. 1t is red on
the nectarine side and is of the ordi'
nary peach color on the peach side
Each half is perfectly formed and one
is not any larger than the other
There can be no question about the
finding of the fruits here referred to
such things are by no means rare, but
the supposed explanation is based on
several errors. In the first place it
is an error to suppose that a nectarine
is distinct from the peach. The fact is
that nectarine is only variety of
the peach and sometimes peach seeds
will produce nectarines and nectarine
seeds will produce peaches. The idea
is quite common that a nectarine is a
cross between the peach and the plum.
This is mistake. Let any one who
is interested in this matter turn to
Gray's School and Field Botany and
he will find that the nectarine is only
a variety of the peach. The peach is
called the prunus Persica and the nee
.e, ,iT1n
Webster's Unabridged Dictionary de-
fines the nectarine as follows: "a va
riety of the peach with a smooth
rind" The United Editors Encyclo-
pedia and Dictionary-a new work
just out and consisting of 40 volumes
and one of the most thoroughly up-to-
date works in eXistence-has this note
under the definition of the peach:
THE nectarine differs from the peach
only in having a smooth fruit, while
that of the peach is downy or velvety;
and it is mere variety, probably pro-
duced and certainly preserved by Gull
tivation. It's fruit is scarcely equal
to that of the peach, and it's smooth
skin, which gives it a handsome ap-
pearance, exposes it to the attacks of
the curculio. In general the methods
of pruning and cultivation are alike
for both fruits. Both peaches and
nectarines are divided into freestones
and clingstones."
These definitions give us a clear
idea of what the nectarine is. The
statement that the nectarine is "cer-
tainly preserved by cultivation" init
mates what is certainly the case, that
the nectarine without cultivation will
revert to the peach and take on it's
woody coat. We might with propriety
say that the nectarine is produced by