Introduced from England in the mid-19^th century, the Early Rivers followed the Alexander in the cycle of quality market peaches, arriving at ripeness around June 15. The fruit were impressively large, pale yellow with touches of green and one pink cheek. Its flavor was unique—subacid, aggressive, and fresh; the flesh dissolved in one’s mouth. It was a freestone when perfectly ripe; but as with other early peaches there was a tendency to consume them too soon, in which case they behaved like a semi-cling. Possibly Extinct—not retained in USDA Collection.

"Semi-cling. Ripe June 15 to 25. One of the Rivers seedlings, introduced from England; large, color pale straw, with a delicate pink cheek; flesh melting, or rather dissolveing, with a rich racy flavor. The best Peach of its seaon." Catalog Concord Nursery, Concord, GA 1909.  

Pre-1920 sources of Early Rivers from southern nurseries:

Alabama Nursery Company, Huntsville AL 1900. D. Beatie’s Atlanta Nursery, 1891, 1895. F. Hillenmeyer’s Bluegrass Nursery, Lexington, KY 1891, 1897, 1909. W. Craft’s Cedar Grover Nursery, Salem, NC 1893. Cherokee Nursery, Waycross, GA 1893. Colmant Nurseries, West End AL 1904. Smith Brothers Concord Nursery, Concord GA 1909. W. Kerr Eastern Shore Nurseries, Denton MD 1900. J. Berckmans Fruitland Nurseries, Augusta GA 1877. Willow Lake Nursery, Marshallville GA 1900. Turkey Creek Nursuries, Macclenny FL 1906. Charles Wright’s Peachland Nurseries, Seaford DE 1891.m Munson Hill Nurseries & Greenhouses, Falles Church VA 1908. Forked Deer Nursery, Curve TN 1890. T. Hood Old Dominion Nursery, Richmond VA 1894. Mallinckrodt Nursery, St. Charles PO 1891. L. Taber Glen St. Mary Nursery, Glen St. Mary FL 1894.

Image: U.S. Department of Agriculture Pomological Watercolor Collection. Rare and Special Collections, National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, MD 20705, Deborah Passmore, 1902.  

David S Shields