The Quinck in Western New York. 613 



or second year and they are then treated as independent plants. If 

 apple roots are used, the quince cions are worked on them in the 

 winter time, as in ordinary root grafting. The union with the 

 apple is weak, but it is sufficient to afford support to the cion for 

 a season or two, until roots strike from the quince itself. The 

 plant is usually taken up the first fall and the apple root is cut 

 off, otherwise troublesome apple suckers may arise. The quince 

 cion should have thrown out roots by this time, and it is set in 

 the nursery row again to shift for itself. Perhaps budding upon the 

 quince itself is the method in most common use where propagation 

 by cuttings is not practicable. The stock in this case is the Angers 

 quince, which is imported from Europe and which is the same 

 as that used for dwarf pear stocks. Quinces are set when two 

 and three years old from the cutting or bud, but the latter age 

 seems to be generally preferred. 



Planting and pruning. — I am convinced that the ideal distance 

 apart for planting quinces is about fifteen feet each way, although 

 most orchards are closer than this. Some of them are even as 

 close as ten feet each way. Too close setting requires heavier 

 fertilizing and better care than most growers are willing to give, 

 it demands severe heading-in, and it seriously interferes with 

 spraying — a practice which can no longer be omi tted in this state. 

 The top should be started low, never more than twelve to twenty 

 inches above the ground, I think ; and the branches should be 

 allowed to spread widely. The frontispiece (Fig. i) shows what 

 most New York horticulturists would regard as a model shape for 

 starting the top of quince trees, although there is room for differ- 

 ence of opinion as to the advisability of such severe heading-in 

 each year as this orchard has received. I have already discussed 

 what I believe to be the fundamental necessities for the heading-in 

 of the annual growth of peaches (in Bulletin 74), and the same 

 observation may be applied to quinces : if bearing trees persist in 

 making a heavy growth — say 18 to 30 inches — they should be 

 shortened-in each winter; but if the land and treatment are such 

 that the tree makes a rather slow hard growth, the operation' will 

 not be necessary. Under conditions of rapid growth, heading-in 

 certainly ^induces fruitfulness, and it also keeps the tree within 

 bounds. The real question at issue, however, lies farther back. 



