Switzer, in his “ Practical Fruit Gardener,”
published in London in 1724, speaks thus of the
Noblesse of his time : —
“ The Noblesse Peach, for largeness, good taste,
and the hardiness and durableness of the tree, is not
equalled, much less excelled, by any fruit we have
in England; perfectly agreeing with our soil and
climate, as much as if it had been a native of our
own. I t succeeds the Montauban, and for size improves
upon him. The flowers ar«e of the whitish pale
blush, and the leaves somewhat serrated. In short,
it is the best Peach (take it altogether) of any we
have had from France ; and a man th a t is content
with, or has but room for a few, cannot do better
than to plant the Montauban and Noblesse Peach,
preferable to any other.”
Hence it appears that this celebrated variety is of
French origin, and yet it is singular th a t it has not
hitherto been identified with any thing in the modern
French Gardens. This has induced me to put together
the following remarks : —
The Noblesse Peach is in the section of “ serrated
glandless leaves, large flowers, melters,” of Mr.
Lindley’s classification. The French include in, this
section, according to the “ Bon Jardinier,” the Avant-
Pêche Blanche (White Nutmeg, Miller), Madeleine
Blanche, de Malte, Madeleine de Courson, Cardinale,
dTspahan, and Nain.
The three last are peculiar sorts, not generally
cultivated, nor does the merit of their fruit deserve
th a t they should be ; and the first is only cultivated
for its precocity. The Madeleine de Courson is
bright red next the sun, and mottled with small dots
towards the shaded side, not marbled with blotches
like the Noblesse, and its flesh is red at the stone.
The Pêche de Malte, as the French likewise admit,
has an affinity to the Madeleine Blanche or Montagne
Blanche, and to these the Noblesse is nearly
allied, by its colour outwardly, the nature and
colour of its flesh, and in being also white to the
stone ; but it is nevertheless different, being larger.
The Double Montagne has been proved synonymous
to the Noblesse. Knoop describes the
Madeleine Blanche, and admits it to be the same
as th a t called in the Low Countries the Montagne
Blanche. He also describes the Double Montagne,
but speaks of it with more uncertainty. He states
it to be a clingstone ; but this he does of many
others well known to be melters.
In Mayer’s Pomona Franconica, vol. ii. p. 234,
the Avant-Pêche Blanche of Duhamel, and the
White Nutmpg of Miller, is stated to be called in
Holland “ La Montagne ;” but this is contrary to
the statement of Knoop before referred to ; and
after he describes the Madeleine Blanche as “ une
grande e t belle Pêche,” he would not mistake the
White Nutmeg for it, when he says, “ J e pense
que cette sorte est la même q u ’on appelle dans ce
pays-ci la Montagne Blanche, à cause que la description
de cette dernière sorte est entièrement conforme
à celle-ci.”
I t appears, therefore, from the above authorities,
th a t the Montagne and Madeleine Blanche are the
same. The “ Montagne Double” is, without doubt.