Haslington During the First English Civil War, on 27 December 1642,(?) there was a skirmish between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians that took place on the southern outskirts of the village at a place called Slaughter Hill. The, Parliamentarians—also known as the Roundheads—won the battle. Local legend says the battle caused the brook nearby to turn red from the blood spilt. A sword was found embedded in the bank of Valley Brook. Although the macabre name Slaughter Hill suggests it may be named after this skirmish, it may be a corruption of "Sloe Tree Hill". Blackthorn ("Prunus spinosa"), the fruit of
Prunus persica × Prunus americana tree is included in the Purdue University book "Fruit Breeding", Volume 1. The hybrid at Broadus, Montana has never fruited as the flowerbuds have all winterkilled. The hybrid has bloomed in Pennsylvania and the blooms are sterile. As of 2013, the hybrid near Broadus is still alive. Prunus persica × Prunus americana Prunus persica" × "Prunus americana is the hybrid between the peach "Prunus persica" (often a nectarine) and the wild American plum "Prunus americana". Hybrids were obtained in the 1940s at the University of Minnesota, and have been used in subsequent breeding, such as in the parentage of a