Developed by N.G. and L.G. Bradford and patented (PP#7066) on 12/05/1989. Marketed by The Burchell Nursery, Inc. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of peach tree, which has been denominated varietally as "Diamond Princess". The present variety was hybridized in 1984 by us in a cultivated area of our experimental orchard at Bradford Farms near Le Grand, Calif. in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). It was the result of a seedling using Red Diamond (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,165) nectarine as the selected seed parent and an unnamed peach seedling as the selected pollen parent. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of peach tree, we asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects. The fruit produced by the present variety most nearly resembles the fruit of Redtop (not patented) by being a freestone peach that ripens in late June, but is distinguished therefrom an an improvement thereon by having a more globose shape, by having almost full red skin color at ripening time and by being extremely firm in texture, making it more desirable to the long distant shipper. The present variety exhibits desirable characteristics common to its selected seed parent, Red Diamond (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,165) nectarine, by producing heavy crops of fruit that are nearly full red in color at harvest time, freestone in type, and very firm in texture, and also that ripens in late June. It noticeably differs from the Red Diamond by being a peach instead of a nectarine and by having a large blossom instead of a small blossom.
Key
Evaluations are based on a 1-8 scale (6=OK,7=Commercially acceptable, 8=Excellent)
Size is in inches
Shape: round is assumed, T=tip, P=point, S=suture, OB=oblate, OV=ovate
Pubescence: 10=nectarine
Blush: presented as percentage of ground color cover with red or similar
Freeness: 3=early cling, 8=completely free
Status: 0=discard, 1=keep
Notes: SOS=soft on suture, SOT=soft on tip, RIF=red in flesh, GAS=green around stem
RAP=red around pit, GGC=green ground color, sz=size, wh=white, yt=young tree, CCT=concave tip
Bloom date is when approx. 90% of blooms are open (full bloom)
The description of each variety of peach or nectarine fruit under each group is in different formats as this information is collected from varied sources and hence is not consistent
