The Family Kitchen Gardener (1856)/Nectarine
NECTARINE.
Amygdalis, var.—Brugnon, Fr.—Nectarpfirsche, Ger.
I have never considered this fruit as any other production than a garden variety of the Peach, from which it is only distinguished by the smoothness of the skin. Many highly wrought descriptions of it have extolled it as being finer fla- vored than the Peach. If so, it has not been our good fortune to have tasted such: on the contrary, we consider it an inferior variety of that fruit, and of an inferior flavor. Neither will the Nectarine ever be so universally cultivated, being generally of a smaller size; and the smoothness of its skin is favorable to the attacks of the Curculio, which destroys them in quantities every season, stinging the fruit even worse than the Plum; and until we can entirely extirpate these animals, it will be a scarce fruit in this vicinity. The following five sorts, from about twenty, will form a select collection.
Boston.—An American variety, by Mr. Lewis, of Boston, and brought into notice by S. G. Perkins, Esq. Color bright yellow, with red cheek. A sweet and pleasant flavor, large size. Freestone.
Downton.—Fruit of a greenish-white color, with a dark red cheek. Flesh very rich, melting, and juicy; large size, and the very best quality. Freestone.
New White.—Is of a creamy-white color, medium size. Flesh white, rich, melting, and rather juicy. A freestone.
Pitmaston Orange.—Fruit medium size, of a bright golden-yellow color, with a red cheek. Flesh deep yellow, melting, rich and sweet, fine flavor. Freestone.
Red Roman.—One of the oldest and most celebrated varieties. Fruit large, of a yellowish-green color, with a dull red cheek, specked with brown. Flesh firm, pale yellow, juicy, rich and very high flavored. Equal to the Downton, but is a cling-stone.
Violette hative.—Fruit very similar to the former, with a greenish-white flesh. A freestone.
They all ripen from the 1st of August to the 1st of Sept.
Cultivation.—The soil and culture suitable for the Peach perfectly agrees with the Nectarine. It is also budded in the same manner, and if practicable should always be obtained on the Plum stock.