(S-^o Bulletin 8o. 



REVIEW. 



Quince growing is an important interest in western New York, 

 where it has no doubt reached its largest dimensions in North 

 America. 



As a rule, quinces bring only ordinary profits, owing to the 

 limited demand for the fruit, but this difficulty may be in a meas- 

 ure overcome by searching out distant or unsupplied markets. 



The crop is reliable ; that is, it is not easily destroyed by capri- 

 cious variations in weather, the trees are hardy and productive, 

 they are easy to prune and spray, and the diseases and insects, 

 while rather numerous, are held in check with comparative ease, 

 with the single exception of the pear-blight. 



The best soils for quinces in western New York, are thought 

 to be the heavy clay loams. The lands should be retentive of 

 moisture, but not wet and soggy. Good drainage is essential to 

 quince culture, as it is to the growing of pears or other fruits. 

 See page 6io. 



So far as known, the general plan of fertilizing quince orchards 

 should be that which is also best adapted to apples and pears, — 

 the free use of potash and phosphoric acid, and the conservative 

 use of nitrogen. It is probable that, upon good quince lands, 

 most or all the necessary nitrogen can be obtained by tillage and 

 cover crops. See page 6io. 



Quince orchards should be given clean culture. The best re- 

 sults cannot be expected if they are kept in sod. The roots are 

 usually shallow, however, especially if the land has not been cul- 

 tivated from the first, and very shallow tillage is generally best. 

 It is sometimes impossible to plow up old soddy orchards, and in 

 this case the fertilizers may be sown upon the sod, and the land 

 can be subdued by dragging or cultivating lightly when the sod 

 is soft in spring. See page 612. 



Probably the best results will be obtained, in the long run, if 

 the trees are set fourteen or fifteen feet apart each way, although 

 the}^ are commonly planted closer than this. 



The quince tree should have a trunk twenty inches or less 

 high. The pruning is essentially the same as that demanded by 



