Nectarines are not easily obtainable in this country, so need not be considered singly; they may be used the same as peaches.

Peaches are wholesome, easily digested, and contain less sugar than other fruits; for this reason, they are suited to the rheumatic, the gouty and the diabetic; in diabetes, however, they must not be used unless ordered by the physician, and then they must be fully ripe. When mellow, soft and ripe, freshly picked from the tree, they are considered curative in cases of chronic diarrhoea. A little underripe, eaten alone, they are laxative.

How To Serve Whole, Raw

Wash the peach and thoroughly chill it; sink it in a little dish of shaved ice, stem end up; if possible, garnish with peach leaves and serve at once.

For serving raw always select' a fine specimen.

How To Serve,, Sliced

Pare and slice the peach at the last moment; dust it lightly with powdered sugar, or serve it plain. Do not use cream or milk; such combinations complicate digestion.

Peach Puree

Peel one large mellow peach, press it through a sieve, heap it in a punch or lemonade glass, make a hole in the center, put in a tablespoonful of sherry or brandy, dust it with powdered sugar and serve.

Baked Peaches

Select a very large free-stone peach, wash and wipe it; stand it in a small saucer or porcelain dish, and in a hot oven for fifteen minutes. When done, pull the peach open with two forks and remove the stone; dust it with powdered sugar and serve. The patient must reject the skin, scooping out the soft portion with a spoon.

Cold Peach Souffle

Mash one large mellow peach through a fine sieve and stir into it at once six tablespoonfuls of cream whipped to a stiff froth. I prefer this to be served without sugar. If, however, the patient is allowed sweet dishes, sprinkle over a little powdered sugar.

Iced Peach On Toast

Bake a peach according to directions for baked peaches; when the peach is done, dish it on a square of toasted bread, cover it with a meringue made from the white of one egg, dust with sugar and return to the oven a moment to brown.

Stewed Peach

Fruit stewed without sugar will frequently agree with persons who cannot eat raw fruit.

To peel the peach, plunge it into boiling water and pull off the skin; put it in a saucepan, add a half cupful of water, cover the saucepan and cook ten minutes. Lift to the serving dish, baste with the syrup that has formed in the bottom of the saucepan, and stand aside to cool. Serve plain; do not add sugar.

Frozen Peach

Make a puree of peach, add four tablespoonfuls of cream, turn into an individual freezer, pack with salt and ice; turn slowly now and then until frozen. Serve in an individual glass stem dish or punch cup.

Peaches A La'Imperatrice

Dish one stewed peach on four tablespoonfuls of carefully-boiled rice and baste the rice with the peach syrup. Serve with plain cream.