My impression is there are still pockets of seed-grown peaches all over the country, but it is fading. Several varieties have the reputation as true to seed after having been propagated that way for so long (all the genetic variability in self crosses has been removed by the numerous generations); many of the old heirlooms fall into that category but not all of them. Its actually not a bad way to get a tree for cheap since they don't need a special rootstock unlike apples, they fruit only a couple years later, and the flavor is generally quite good. It seems to be a strongly "folk" tradition however after 1800 or so. Here is some text from Peaches of New York: SEEDLINGS GIVE WAY TO BUDDED TREES About the close of the Eighteenth Century the planting of. pits for permanent trees began to give way to budding. It does not appear who began budding peaches on this side of the Atlantic but the desirability of budded stock was discussed as early as 1736, for in that year we find the English botanist, Peter CoUinson, urging his American colleague, John Bartram, to " graft Plums and Nectarines on Peach stocks." The matter had evidently been under consideration before for CoUinson tells Bartram " Pray try; I have great opinion of its succeeding, Bartram is hard to convince and ten years later CoUinson is still urging him to bud, for, in a letter of April 26, 1746, he writes, rather impatiently, " Though thou canst not see, yet I have told thee what inoculating a Peach stock may do" Probably the Princes, pioneer nurserymen in America, in their nursery at Flushing, Long Island, first began to bud the peach, for in their catalog of 1771 they offer 29 sorts though most of these appear to be types rather than varieties. Twenty years later they list 35 varieties with the statement that all " are inoculated" I was looking in this very complete 1917 reference to see if seedling peach growing was mentioned at all, and it is only mentioned as an early practice. austransplant, I have had very little problem with oozing grafts on my peaches. Maybe you have peach borer by the graft? There is also not much harm in planting a peach with the graft buried, it will then be on its own roots which is not very different from a standard rootstock which is usually a seedling anyway. Scott Here is a link that might be useful: Peaches of New York on-line

Hi Looks like mine messages had some writing errors, but i think you got still what i wrote. It took time because i had to watch the title what was in there to tell what was in it. Gonebananas hi You welcome. I have found the book you mentioned, but it cost more. Scottfsmith hi How much you learn information about peaches from this book depends how much you know about peaches. If you know a lot of peaches you probably don't learn so much new things by reading of peach book.

There is no way of determining the variety of your peach, or the variety from which the seed came from. A soft fuzzy red peach describes a multitude of peaches. I would suggest your fond memory was the result of eating a truly tree-ripened peach, not so much the variety of peach. Juice running down your arm is a given for any tree-ripened peach. There are superior tasting peach varieties, but the difference isn't hugely profound. For some favorites varieties from members of this forum, search "2010 peach report". And remember, memories are like a good bottle of wine. They get better with age.

These do eat plants when their numbers are high. They do. There should be no debating this. If anyone doesn't believe it, they haven't had an infestation of pill bugs and don't really have the experience to help someone regarding. I cannot grow legume or peas without killing these bugs in the area or they will take down every one of the healthy seedlings. I drench the soil in the area with liquid spinosad. Once the plant is established, it's good. I gotta eat, too. I read somewhere that pill bugs remove metals and is likely to remove some toxins in the soil. I'm still trying to figure why I have so many and what purpose they are serving beyond the normal "eat decaying matter".