the writing of the first edition of Miller's Dictionary, 8vo. in 1724. It requires to be budded upon the pear plum.

2. HUNT'S LARGE TAWNY. Nursery Catalogue. Leaves double serrated, without glands. Flowers large, deep rose colour. Fruit rather small, but larger than the last, about five and a half or six inches in circumference, somewhat ovate, a little compressed on one side of the suture, and fuller on the other, with a prominent apex. Skin pale orange, shaded with deep red on the sunny side, and interspersed with numerous russetty specks. Flesh deep orange, melting, of an excellent flavour, and separates from the stone.

Ripe the middle and end of August.

This very excellent Nectarine originated from the preceding variety about the year 1824, not through the seminal process; but, as it appears, by a spontaneous effort in nature to enlarge the parts of fructification. In the spring of 1826 I observed a few of the maiden plants in the nursery with much larger blossoms than those on the other plants, but promiscuously intermixed among them which at first led me to suppose that some other sort had been introduced through the carelessness of the budders in the previous budding season; but upon a close examination, I found there was not in the whole collection of Peaches and Nectarines then in flower, one kind whose blossoms corresponded with these. I marked the plants, and in the autumn had two or three potted of each sort. In 1828 I placed them under glass, and forced them; their blossoms still maintained their enlarged character, and were succeeded by fruit which differed in no other respect from the original sort than that of being larger, yet ripening about the same time.

A fully expanded blossom of the small Tawny Nectarine is about seven-eighths of an inch in diameter

from the extremity of one petal to that of the opposite In this it is an inch and a quarter, and the petals are imbricated at the base.

one.

There appears to me a great singularity in this accidental change of character, and to some it may appear incredible; but I state it as a fact that has happened under my own inspection, being perfectly satisfied that it had never been observed previously by any other

person.

There are other instances upon record where a fruit has spontaneously changed its character; but none so decidedly as this, which has enlarged its blossoms, as well as its fruit. Mr. Knight states, in the 2d Vol. of the Hort. Trans. p. 160., that he has a tree of the White Magnum Bonum plum forty years old, which last year produced on one of its branches red fruit, perfectly like the Red Magnum Bonum; but this change was not permanent. He had also a May Duke Cherry, which some years ago, on one of its branches, had constantly oblong fruit, ripened later, and were of greater weight than those on the other part of the tree. These, with many other instances of spontaneous production, which might be enumerated, lead me to conclude that we may possibly have other varieties, both of plants and fruits, which have not originated from the seed.

3. HUNT'S SMALL TAWNY. Nursery Catalogue. Hunt's Early Tawny. G. Lindl. in Hort. Trans. Vol. v. p. 542.

Leaves doubly serrated, without glands. Flowers small, deep rose colour. Fruit rather larger than that of the Fairchild's, about five inches in circumference, somewhat ovate, a little compressed on one side of the suture, and a little fuller on the other, with a prominent apex. Skin pale orange on the shaded side; but when exposed to the sun, shaded with deep red, intermixed with numerous russetty specks. Flesh deep orange,

melting, juicy, extremely well flavoured, and separates from the stone.

Ripe the middle and end of August.

4. NEATE'S WHITE.

New White. G. Lindl. in Hort. Trans. Vol. v. p. 548.

White, or Flanders. Hooker, Pom. Lond. p. 30. Emmerton's New White. Nursery Catalogues.

Leaves crenate, with reniform glands. Flowers large. Fruit middle-sized, roundish, very pale yellowish green, becoming almost white in the shade, and slightly tinged with red next the sun. Flesh tender and juicy, with a fine vinous flavour, and separates from the stone, which is rather small.

Ripe the end of August to the middle of September.

This has been supposed by some writers to be the same as the Old White Nectarine, cultivated about London, and sold in the nurseries forty years ago. Those, however, who have made it their business to propagate both, know, to their cost, that this is not the case. The Old White could never be made to take upon the Muscle stock on the contrary, the present variety requires no other, nor have we, in all our collections, either Peach or Nectarine that succeeds better upon it.

From the best information I have been able to obtain, it was raised by the Rev. Mr. Neate, a magistrate at Whetstone, near London, from a seed of the Old White. It was given to Mr. Emmerton, a nurseryman at Barnet, who first sold it about thirty years ago. I have not quoted the figure in the Pom. Mag. t. 40., in consequence of an accidental error in the description, stating the flesh to adhere to the stone.

I have been induced to give the name of Neate's White to this Nectarine, to perpetuate the name of that gentleman with whom it originated.

5. OLD WHITE. G. Lindl. in Hort. Trans. Vol. v. p. 548.

Leaves crenate, with reniform glands. Flowers large. Fruit middle-sized, somewhat ovate. Skin pale yellowish white, sprinkled with small pearl-coloured specks. Flesh melting, and separates from the stone. Juice sugary and highly flavoured.

Ripe the end of August to the middle of September.

It is to be feared that this very excellent Nectarine is nearly lost from our gardens. I saw it growing at Kew in 1797, when it was in a flourishing state. I have found considerable difficulty in propagating it: those who succeeded the best with it, adopted the practice of budding it upon some hardy Peach. When the Minion stock was introduced, it grew readily upon it; but the trees thus raised were found to be of but short duration. There appears to be considerable difficulty in ascertaining the time when this Nectarine was brought into this country, or from whence it came. Mr. Kirke informs me that his father was the first who had plants of it for sale; having been presented with cuttings by Sir Abraham Pytches, who imported it from Asia about fifty years ago. This, however, could not have been the first White Nectarine known in England, since Parkinson enumerates a White Nectarine, No. 6., in 1629. Whether it was the same sort as this cannot now be ascertained.

6. PETERBOROUGH. G. Lindl. in Hort. Trans. Vol. v. p. 552. Miller, No. 10.

Late Green. Ib.

Leaves crenate, with reniform glands. Flowers small, very dark crimson. Fruit below the middle size, somewhat globular. Skin pale green next the wall, tinged with muddy red on the sunny side. Flesh greenish white to the stone, from which it separates. Ripe the beginning of October.

In a dry warm season this is a good little fruit.

It should be planted on a south or south-east wall to ripen it perfectly.

SECT. II. Melting Red-fruited.

7. AROMATIC. G. Lindl. in Hort. Trans. Vol. v. p. 551.

Leaves crenate, with reniform glands. Flowers small. Fruit middle-sized, somewhat globular. Skin pale straw colour in the shade, but of a deep red or blackish brown on the side next the sun. Flesh pale straw colour, but red at the stone, from which it separates. Juice of a rich vinous flavour.

Ripe the end of August or beginning of September. 8. BRINION. Switzer, p. 94.

Marbled. Ib.

Brinion red at stone,

Violet red at stone,

} Nursery Catalogues.

Flowers

Leaves crenate, with reniform glands. small. Fruit the largest of the melting sorts, frequently measuring eight inches and a quarter in circumference, a little more long than broad, with now and then a small nipple at the apex. Skin very pale yellow next the wall; but of a deep red on the sunny side, very much marbled with a deeper colour, occasionally mixed with a little pale thin russet. Flesh melting, greenish yellow, but very red at the stone, from which it separates. Juice excellent.

Ripe the end of August and beginning of September.

The name of Brinion has been continued to this Nectarine, from the time of Switzer, in 1724.

It is not a corruption from the word Brugnon, a name by which the French designate their Pavie Nectarines; but from Brin, a brindled or marbled colour.