Almond and Peach: a genus of the monogynia order, belonging to the icofandra clas of plants; and, in the natural method, ranking under the 36th order, Pomaceae. The characters are: The calyx is a single-leaved perianthium beneath, tubular, and quinquefid: The corolla consists of five oblong petals, which are inserted into the calyx: The stamens consist of 30 slender erect filaments, half the length of the corolla, and inserted into the calyx; the antherae are simple: The pistillum has a round villous germen above; a simple style, the length of the stamens; and the stigma headed: The pericarpium is a large roundish villous drupa, with a longitudinal furrow: The seed is an ovate compressed nut perforated in the pores.

Species. 1. The Communis, or Common Almond, a native of Africa, will grow to near 20 feet high; and whether planted singly in an open place, or mixed with others in clumps, thrubby-quarters, &c., shows itself one of the finest flowering trees in nature. Those who never yet saw it, may easily conceive what a noble appearance this tree must make, when covered all over with a bloom of a delicate red, which will be in March; a time when very few trees are ornamented either with leaves or flowers. No ornamental plantation, therefore, of what sort or kind soever, should be without almond-trees. Neither are the beauties of the flowers the only thing deirable in this tree: The fruit would render it worthy of planting, were there no other motive. It ripens well, and its goodness is not unknown to us.—The white-flowering almond, well known in our nurseries, is a variety of this species, and is cultivated for the sake of the flowers and the fruit, though the flow- ers are inferior to the others; and unless it be set against a south wall, in a well sheltered place, there will be little hopes of bearing fruit.

2. The Nana, Dwarf Almond, is a native of Asia Minor. Of this shrub there are two sorts, the single and the double. Both grow to about four or five feet high, and are in the first esteem as flowering shrubs. The single sort has its beauties; but the double kind is matchless. In both the flowers are arranged the whole length of the last year's shoots; their colour is a delicate red; and they throw themselves early in the spring, which still enhances their value.

3. The Persica, or Peach, is said to be a native of Europe; but of what place is not known. Cultivation has produced many varieties of this fruit; of which the following are the most esteemed.

1. The White Nutmeg. 2. The Red Nutmeg. 3. The Early Purple. 4. The Small Mignon. 5. The White Magdalen. 6. The Yellow Alberge. 7. The Large French Mignon. 8. The Beautiful Chevreuse. 9. The Red Magdalen. 10. The Chancellor. 11. Smith's Newington. 12. The Montauban. 13. The Malta. 14. The Vineuse. 15. The Bellegarde. 16. The Bourdine. 17. The Rossiana. 18. The Admirable. 19. The Old Newington. 20. The Royal. 21. The Rambouillet. 22. The Portugal. 23. The Late Admirable. 24. The Nivette. 25. Venus's Nipple. 26. The Late Purple. 27. The Perigueux. 28. The Catharine. 29. The Montrous Pavie. 30. The Bloody Peach.

The White Nutmeg is the first peach in season, it being often in perfection by the end of July. The leaves are doubly serrated, the flower large, and of a pale colour; the fruit is white, small, and round; the flesh too is white, parts from the stone, and has a fugary, musky flavour.

The Red Nutmeg hath yellowish green leaves, with serpentine edges, which are slightly serrated. The flowers are large, open, and of a deep blush-colour. The fruit is larger and rounder than the former, and is of a bright vermilion next the sun, but more yellow on the other side. The flesh is white, except next the stone, Amygdalus stone, from which it separates, and has a rich musky flavour. It ripens just after the white nutmeg.

The Early Purple hath smooth leaves, terminated in a sharp point. The flowers are large, open, and of a lively red. The fruit is large, round, and covered with a fine deep red coloured down. The flesh is white, red next the stone, and full of a rich vinous juice. Ripe about the middle of August.

The Small Mignon hath slightly ferrated, and the flowers small and contracted. The peach is round, of a middling size, tinged with darkish red on the sunny side, and is of a pale yellowish colour on the other. The flesh is white, parts from the stone, where it is red, and contains plenty of a vinous, sugary juice. Ripens rather before the former.

The White Magdalen hath long, shining, pale-green leaves, deeply ferrated on the edges, and the wood is mostly black at the pith. The flowers are large and open, appear early, and are of a pale red. The fruit is round, rather large, of a yellowish-white colour, except on the sunny side, where it is slightly streaked with red. The flesh is white to the stone, from which it separates, and the juice is pretty well flavoured. Ripe at the end of August.

The Yellow Alberge hath deep red, middle-sized flowers; the peach is smaller than the former, of a yellow colour on the shady side, and of a deep red on the other. The flesh is yellow, red at the stone, and the juice is sugary and vinous.

The Great French Mignon hath large, finely ferrated leaves, and beautiful red flowers. The fruit is large, quite round, covered with a fine fatteny down, of a brownish red colour on the sunny side, and of a greenish yellow on the other. The flesh is white, easily parts from the skin, and is copiously stored with a sugary high-flavoured juice. Ripe near the middle of August.

The Beautiful Chevreufe hath plain leaves, and small contracted flowers. The fruit is rather oblong, of a middling size, of a fine red colour next the sun, but yellow on the other side. The flesh is yellowish, parts from the stone, and is full of a rich sugary juice. It ripens a little after the former.

The Red Magdalen hath deeply ferrated leaves, and large open flowers. The fruit is large, round, and of a fine red next the sun. The flesh is firm, white, separates from the stone, where it is very red; the juice is sugary, and of an exquisite rich flavour. Ripe at the end of August.

The Chancellor hath large, slightly ferrated leaves. The peach is about the size of the Beautiful Chevreufe, but rather rounder. The skin is very thin, of a fine red on the sunny side; the flesh is white and melting, parts from the stone, and the juice is very rich and sugary. It ripens with the former.

The leaves of Smith's Newington are ferrated, and the flowers are large and open. The fruit is of a middle size, of a fine red on the sunny side; the flesh white and firm, but very red at the stone, to which it sticks closely, and the juice has a pretty good flavour. Ripens with the former.

The Montauban hath ferrated leaves, and large open flowers. The fruit is about the size of the former, of a purplish red next the sun, but of a pale one on the shady side. The flesh is melting, and white even to the stone, from which it separates. The juice is rich, Amygdaline, and well flavoured. It ripens a little before the former.

The Malta hath deeply ferrated leaves, and the flowers are large and open. The fruit is almost round, of a fine red next the sun, marbled with a deeper red, but the shady side is of a deep green. The flesh is fine, white, except at the stone, from which it parts, where it is of a deep red; the juice is a little musky, and agreeable. It ripens at the end of August, or beginning of September.

The Vincufe hath large deep green leaves, and full bright red flowers. The fruit is round, of a middle size; the skin is thin, all over red; the flesh fine and white, except at the stone, where it is very red, and the juice is copious and vinous. Ripe in the middle of September.

The Bellegarde hath smooth leaves, and small contracted flowers. The fruit is very large, round, and of a deep purple colour next the sun. The flesh is white, parts from the stone, where it is of a deep red, and the juice is rich and excellent. It ripens early in September.

The Bourdine hath large, fine green, plain leaves, and small flesh-coloured contracted flowers. The fruit is round, of a dark red next the sun; the flesh white, except at the stone, where it is of a deep red, and the juice is rich and vinous. Ripens with the former.

The Rossanna hath plain leaves, and small contracted flowers. The fruit is rather longer than the alberge, and some count it only a variety of the latter. The flesh is yellow, and parts from the stone, where it is red; the juice is rich and vinous. Ripe early in September.

The Admirable hath plain leaves, and small contracted flowers, which are of a pale red. The fruit is very large and round; the flesh is firm, melting, and white, parts from the stone, and is there red; and the juice has a sweet, sugary, high vinous flavour. Ripe early in September.

The Old Newington hath ferrated leaves, and large open flowers. The fruit is large, of a fine red next the sun; the flesh is white, sticks close to the stone, where it is of a deep red, and the juice has an excellent flavour. It ripens just after the former.

The Royal hath plain leaves, and small contracted flowers. The fruit is about the size of the admirable, and resembles it, except that it has sometimes a few knobs or warts. The flesh is white, melting, and full of a rich juice; it parts from the stone, and is there of a deep red. Ripens about the middle of September.

The Rambouillet hath leaves and flowers like the royal. The fruit is rather round than long, of a middling size, and deeply divided by a furrow. It is of a bright yellow on the shady side, but of a fine red on the other. The flesh is melting, yellow, parts from the stone, where it is of a deep red, and the juice is rich and vinous. Ripens with the former.

The Portugal hath plain leaves, and large open flowers. The fruit is large, spotted, and of a beautiful red on the sunny side. The flesh is firm, white, sticks to the stone, and is there red. The stone is small, deeply furrowed, and the juice is rich and sugary. Ripe towards the end of September.

The Late Admirable hath ferrated leaves, and brown- Amygdalus in red small contracted flowers. The fruit is rather large and round, of a bright red next the sun, marbled with a deeper. The flesh is of a greenish-white, and sticks to the stone, where it hath several red veins; the juice is rich and vinous. Ripe about the middle of September.

The Nivette hath serrated leaves, and small contracted flowers. The fruit is large and roundish, of a bright red colour next the sun, but of a pale yellow on the shady-side. The flesh is of a greenish-yellow, parts from the stone, where it is very red, and is copiously stored with a rich juice. It ripens about the middle of September.

Venus's Nipple hath finely serrated leaves, and rosecoloured, small contracted flowers, edged with carmine. The fruit is of a middling size, and has a rising like a breast. It is of a faint red on the sun-side, and on the shady one of a straw-colour. The flesh is melting, white, separates from the stone, where it is red, and the juice is rich and sugary. Ripens late in September.

The Late Purple hath large, serrated leaves, which are variously contorted, and the flowers are small and contracted. The fruit is round, large, of a dark red on the sunny-side, and yellowish on the other. The flesh is melting, white, parts from the stone, where it is red, and the juice is sweet and high-flavoured. Ripens with the former.

The Perisque hath large, very long indented leaves, and small contracted flowers. The fruit is large, oblong, of a fine red next the sun; the flesh firm, white, but red at the stone, juicy, and of a high pleasant flavour. The stalk has frequently a small knot upon it. Ripe late in September.

The Catharine hath plain leaves, and small flowers. The fruit is large, round, of a very dark red next the sun. The flesh white, firm, sticks close to the stone, and is there of a deep red. The juice is rich and pleasant. It ripens early in October.

The Monstrous Pavy hath large, very slightly serrated leaves, and large, but rather contracted flowers. The fruit is round, and very large, whence its name. It is of a fine red on the sunny side, and of a greenish-white on the other. The flesh is white, melting, sticks close to the stone, and is there of a deep red. It is pretty full of juice, which in dry seasons is sugary, vinous, and agreeable. Ripe towards the end of October.

The Bloody Peach hath rather large, serrated leaves, which turn red in autumn. The fruit is of a middling size, the skin all over of a dull red, and the flesh is red down to the stone. The fruit is but dry, and the juice rather sharp and bitterish. It seldom ripens well in England, but is well worth cultivating notwithstanding, for the fruit bake and preserve excellent well.

The peach-tree has hitherto been planted against walls for the sake of the fruit: "but, (says Hanbury), as I hardly ever knew a person who was not struck with the beauty of the flowers when in full blow against a wall, why should it not have a share in wilderness-quarters and shrubberies, amongst the forts of almonds, &c.? It may be kept down, or permitted to grow to the height of the owner's fancy; and the flowers are inferior to none of the other sorts. Add to this, they frequently, in well-sheltered places, produce fruit which will be exceeding well-flavoured; and thus the owner may enjoy the benefit of a double treat." The above observations respect the single peach; with regard to Amygdalus the double-flowered, it is generally propagated for ornamental plantations, and is universally acknowledged to be one of the finest flowering-trees yet known. Against a wall, however, these trees are always the fairest; and if they have this advantage, they are succeeded by very good fruit.

The Nectarine, according to Linnæus, is only a variety of the peach, its having a smooth coat being only an accident originally. Of this also many varieties are now cultivated; and the following are some of the most esteemed: 1. The Elrige. 2. The Newington. 3. The Scarlet. 4. The Roman. 5. The Murray. 6. The Italian. 7. The Golden. 8. The Temple's.

The Elrige hath large serrated leaves, and small flowers. The fruit is of a middling size, of a dark purple colour next the sun, and of a greenish yellow on the shady side. The flesh parts from the stone, and has a soft, melting, good flavoured juice. Ripe early in August.

The Newington hath serrated leaves, and large open flowers. The fruit is pretty large, of a beautiful red on the sunny side, but of a bright yellow on the other. The flesh sticks to the stone, is there of a deep red colour, and the juice has an excellent rich flavour. Ripe towards the end of August.

The scarlet is rather less than the former, of a fine scarlet colour next the sun, but fades to a pale red on the shady side. It ripens near the time of the former.

The Roman, or claret red nectarine, hath plain leaves, and large flowers. The fruit is large, of a deep red towards the sun, but yellowish on the shady-side. The flesh is firm, sticks to the stone, and is there red; the juice is rich, and has an excellent flavour. Ripe about the end of August.

The Murray is a middling-sized fruit, of a dirty red colour on the sunny side, and yellowish on the shady one. The flesh is firm, and tolerably well flavoured. It ripens early in September.

The Italian Nectarine hath smooth leaves and small flowers; the fruit is red next the sun, but yellowish on the other side; flesh firm, adheres to the stone, where it is red, and when ripe, which is early in September, has an excellent flavour.

The Golden Nectarine has an agreeable red colour next the sun, bright yellow on the opposite side; flesh very yellow, sticks to the stone, where it is of a pale red, has a rich flavour, and ripens in September.

Temple's Nectarine is of a middling size, of a fair red next the sun, of a yellowish green on the other side; flesh white near the stone, from which it separates; ripens in September, and has a high poignant flavour.

Propagation, &c. All the above species are propagated by inoculating them into plum-stocks in August. The stocks should be first planted in the nursery when of the size of a straw; and the first or second summer after they will be ready to receive the bud. The usual method of inoculation must be observed, and there is no danger of success; though it may be proper to observe, that the double-blooming peach should always be worked into the stocks of the mulfell-plum. The two sorts of dwarf almond may also be propagated by layers, or from the suckers, which they sometimes send forth in great plenty. The varieties of the peach are produced like those of the finer flowers, by sowing the seeds; and though many raised this way will be of little value, as is also the case of flowers, yet probably among a parcel of stones, saved from the finer kinds of peaches, there would be some new kinds produced; which, as they were raised here, would be easily kept up in their perfection, which is not to be expected of those brought from other countries. The best method of raising the stones is, to let some of the finest peaches of the best kinds hang till they drop of themselves from the tree, and then the stones should be immediately planted on a bed of light dry earth, planting them about three inches deep in the earth, and at about four inches apart. The beds should be covered to preserve them in the winter; and in spring, when the plants come up, they must be cleared of weeds, and well watered. The next spring they should be carefully taken up, and planted in the nursery, in rows three feet apart, and one foot distant from each other; laying a little mulch upon the surface of the ground about their roots, and in a dry spring watering them once in a week; and after one or two years standing here, they may be removed to the places where they are to remain; or they may at that time, when the condition of their fruit is known, be grafted on other stocks.

There are two general rules given for the pruning of peach and nectarine trees; viz. 1. Always to have enough of bearing wood; And, 2. Not to lay in the branches too close to one another. All peach trees produce their fruit from the young wood either of the same, or at the most of the former year's growth; for which reason the branches are to be so pruned, as to encourage them to throw out new shoots in every part of the tree; and this is to be done in May; when by pinching, or stopping, the strong shoots, there may be new wood forced out in any part of the tree. This is the method of the summer pruning; the winter pruning is usually done in February or March; but is much better done at Michaelmas, as soon as their leaves begin to fall; and the wounds will then have time to heal before the severe frosts come on.

In pruning of these trees it must always be observed also, that it is best done under a wood bud, not a blossom bud; which may be distinguished by the wood bud's being less turgid, and longer and narrower than the blossom bud; for if the shoot have not a leading bud where it is cut, it will commonly die down to the leading bud. In nailing the shoots to the wall, they should be placed at as equal distances as possible; and so far apart that the leaves may have room; and they must always be trained as horizontally as possible, that the lower part of the tree may be well wooded, which it will not be if the branches are suffered to run upright. When the fruit is set and grown to the size of a small nut, it should be thinned, and left five or six inches apart; by this management the fruit will be larger and better tasted, and the trees in a condition to bear well the succeeding year. The quantity of fruit to be left on large full grown trees should never be greater than five dozen upon each; but on middling trees, three or four dozen will be enough. If the season should prove hot and dry, it will be proper to draw up the earth round the stem of each tree, to form a hollow basin of about six feet in diameter, and cover the surface of the ground in this basin with mulch; and once in a week or fortnight, according to the drought of the season, to pour down eight or ten gallons of water to the root of each tree; or the water may be sprinkled by an engine over the branches of the trees, which, shaking down to the roots, will promote the growth of the fruit and prevent its falling off the trees. This, however, should be continued only while the fruit is growing.

The peach-tree, as well as the rose-tree, are very subject to be over-run with the aphides; which may be destroyed by fumigating the house in which the plants are kept with tobacco, or, which is said to be the most effectual method, by steam raised from water poured over the flues. — Soap-fuds are said to destroy effectually the different species of insects that infest fruit-trees growing against walls, and particularly the peach, cherry, and plum. For this purpose, a person on a ladder should pour them from a watering-pot over both trees and wall, beginning at the top of the wall, and bringing it on in courses from top to bottom. The fuds contribute likewise, it is said, to preserve the wood of the delicate and tender kinds of peaches.

Uses. Sweet almonds are reckoned to afford little nourishment; and, when eaten in substance, are not easy of digestion, unless thoroughly comminuted: Peeled, and eaten fix or eight at a time, they sometimes give pretent relief in the heart-burn. But in medicine they are mostly used for making emulsions; and they abound not only with an oil, but likewise with a mucilage fit for incorporating oil and water together.

Emulsions are commonly prepared from almonds, by beating an ounce of them, after being blanched, into a fine pulp, in a marble or stone mortar; and triturating them well with half an ounce (more or less) of fine sugar; and then adding by little at a time, a quart of water; taking care to continue grinding them while the water is poured on; after which the white milky liquor is strained through a cloth, and put into a quart bottle. Some people add a dram of blanched bitter almonds to an ounce of the sweet, which they think make the emulsions more agreeable. Such emulsions have been much used as drink in acute diseases, for diluting and blunting acrimonious juices in the first passages, and acid saline particles in the blood; and for softening and lubricating the fibres and membranes.

It has been a common practice to dissolve from half an ounce to an ounce, or more, of gum arabic in the water used for making the emulsions; and to make patients drink freely of them, while blisters are applied to the body, in order to prevent strangury; and to order them to be used in cases of gravel, and of inflammation of the bladder or urethra; and in heat of urine from virulent gonorrhoea or other causes.

Camphor, resin of jalap, and other resinous substances, by being triturated with almonds, become miscible with water, and more mild and pleasant than they were before; and therefore they are frequently ordered to be rubbed with them, and made up into pills or boluses, with the addition of some conserve or gum arabic mucilage; or they are incorporated with watery liquors into the form of an emulsion. Formerly the seeds of the lettuce, of the cucumber, of the white poppy, and of a number of other plants, were employed for making emulsions; but now in this country the sweet almonds supply the place of all the rest.

The bitter almonds are not so much used as they were formerly; because they have been found to destroy some sorts of animals: this effect was related by the ancients, but believed to be fictitious; because when eaten by men they appear to be innocent, and to produce no deleterious effects. However, the facts related by Wepfer in his Treatise de Cicuta Aquatica, having been confirmed by later experiments; and it having been discovered that a water drawn from them had deleterious effects, and that the distilled water from the lauro-cerasus leaves, which have a bitter taste resembling that of bitter almonds, was still more poisonous; it raised a suspicion of the wholesome effects of those bitter substances, and has made physicians more cautious of using them, though they have been employed for making orgeate and other liquors, without producing any bad effects.

As to the peach and nectarine, they are sufficiently known as delicious fruits. Peach-flowers have an agreeable smell, and a bitterish taste: distilled, without any addition, by the heat of a water-bath, they yield one-sixth their weight, or more, of a whitish liquor, which, as Mr Bolduc observes, communicates to a large quantity of other liquids a flavour like that of the kernels of fruits. An infusion in water of half an ounce of the fresh-gathered flowers, or a dram of them when dried, sweetened with sugar, proves for children an useful laxative and anthelmintic: the leaves of the tree are, with this intention, somewhat more efficacious, though less agreeable. The fruit has the same quality with the other sweet fruits, that of abating heat, quenching thirst, and gently loosening the belly.