The new Fisher Peach

THE NEW FISHER PEACH

Outstanding phenomenon in peach history, discovered near Queenston, Ontario.

Against a background of romantic history, in the very shadow of the Monument erected to the memory of one of Britain's gallant heroic figures, General Sir Isaac Brock, and on the site of the first commercial peach orchard in Upper Canada an outstanding Star in the Theatre of Peach Culture made its bow to a delighted Horticultural audience. On August 9th, 1934 this sensational performer was discovered on Dulverton Fruit Farm, which is owned and operated by C. Howard Fisher and Sons. Peach growers have been searching for a quarter of a century for an early yellow-flesh freestone peach with all the tempting quality of later-ripening varieties, and have spent limitless amounts of time and money in research and cross-breeding to produce just such a peach and have always fallen short of their objective.

Then with one beneficent sweep of her Horn of Plenty Mother Nature produced one of her rarities in the field of peach culture, a true Bud Sport. This Sport takes the form of one limb on a peach tree of the Valiant variety, an excellent midseason sort, which ripens its fruit three full weeks ahead of the fruit on the rest of the tree.

Dulverton Fruit Farm is situated on the Niagara Parks Boulevard, one mile north of the village of Queenston, Ontario, which name is engraved deep in the history of a century and a quarter ago, and which was, until the advent of the Welland Canal, the trans - shipping point for all water - borne traffic bound for the upper lakes. The farm is named Dulverton after Dulverton, England, the birthplace of Mr. C. Howard Fisher's great-grandfather, who came to Canada as a boy, and settled at old Newark, (now Niagara-on-the-Lake. It was purchased by Mr. Carl E. Fisher, C. Howard Fisher's father, in 1882 and has been under Fisher management for 60 years. Nine-year-old Walter Fisher, Jr., is the fifth -generation of Fishers to make their home on Dulverton Fruit Farm and is becoming increasingly interested in its affairs. It is interesting to note that this farm has changed hands just three times since it was originally granted as Crown Land to one of the early settlers in Upper Canada.

One particular orchard on Dulverton Fruit Farm is the site of the first commercial peach orchard in Upper Canada, and the records show that peaches have been grown continuously on that same land for 127 years. This fact would seem to indicate that Mother Nature is limitless in her bounties when one is wise enough to work with and not against these age-old precepts of cultural practice which are understood by very few men even in these days of scientific agricultural procedure.

Mr. C. Howard Fisher and his sons, Walter C. Fisher and H. Boynton Fisher have taken justifiable pride in the introduction of this new peach variety, which has been named the Fisher peach. Tests were made to be sure that this early - ripening characteristic, as well as the remarkably fine appearance and high quality would continue through propagation from generation to generation. When this was ascertained the variety was patented in the United States and Registered in Canada, and licenses were granted to four large reputable nurseries in the United States and two in Canada to propagate and sell stock of the Fisher peach.

The parent tree on which the Sport Limb of the Fisher peach is born is of the Valiant variety. This is a midseason variety of fine appearance and excellent quality and was originated at the Government Experimental Farm at Vineland, Ontario. The real value of the Fisher peach to the commercial peach grower lies in the fact that the season during which he has high-quality yellow freestone peaches to pick and market is extended by three weeks. When one considers that formerly the season for marketing high-class peaches was little more than five weeks the true importance of the Fisher peach is brought sharply into focus. Sales records for the last three years tell a most satisfactory story; the average returns per basket from the sale of the Fisher peach has been substantially higher than the average returns from any other variety grown in the Niagara Peninsula.

This amazing new variety is being planted commercially in all the peach-growing regions on this continent. From California to New York and from British Columbia to the southeastern states growers are becoming increasingly enthusiastic about this most valuable addition to their list of worthwhile peach varieties. Genuine true-to-name stock of the Fisher peach , may be obtained from Greening Nurseries, Monroe, Michigan; California Nurseries, Niles, California; Stark Bros. Nurseries, Louisiana, Missouri; and Bountiful Ridge Nurseries, Princess Anne, Maryland in the United States, and in Canada from Taylor Nurseries, Beamsville, Ontario, and H. M. Eddie & Sons Pacific Coast Nurseries.