THE POME-FRUITS 121 



are harder than those of Pyrus ; the quince has a woolly surface 

 while that of the apple and pear is smooth ; the sepals at the 

 apex of the quince are more leaf-like than those of the apple 

 and pear ; the five carpels of the quince contain many seeds, those 

 of species of Pyrus but few; the testa of quince seeds abounds 

 in a gum having mucilaginous and demulcent properties, while 

 there is little or no gum in seeds of the apple and pear ; the stem 

 of the quince is so short as to appear to be wanting, while the 

 stem of the apple and pear is distinct, usually slender, and often 

 long. 



The Japanese quince is distinguished from the common sort 

 by its serrate or crenate papery leaves, those of the latter being 

 nearly or quite entire, thick, and heavily pubescent beneath; 

 the plant is smaller and not nearly so robust; the flowers are 

 brighter colored and their styles are united at the base whereas 

 they are free in Cydonia. The Japanese quince was long in- 

 cluded in Cydonia or Pyrus but is now put by all botanists in 

 Chasnomeles. 



176. Habitat and history of the quince. — The quince is a 

 native of the Mediterranean and Caucasus regions, and in 

 ancient times grew abundantly in Crete, deriving from Cydon 

 in that country the name Cydonia. From ancient Greece it was 

 taken to Rome before the Christian era, for the writers of the 

 first century mention it as if it were a common fruit. The 

 Romans knew^ the quince as the cotonea, a name in old English 

 as well as in Latin. Spreading from Italy, it was soon culti- 

 vated, as agriculture advanced step by step, throughout the 

 mild climates of Europe. In 812, its culture Avas enjoined by 

 Charlemagne in France under the name caing. Chaucer speaks 

 of the quince in the latter part of the fourteenth century in 

 England, calling it coine from the French. Early Spanish, 

 English, French, and Dutch settlers brought the quince to 

 America, where it has been sparingly cultivated in gardens, home 

 orchards, and commercial plantations from the earliest settle- 

 ment of the continent. 



177. Pomological status of the quince. — The quince is of but 

 secondary importance in fruit-growing, since it is only sparingly 

 used for culinary purposes. Both the apple and the pear were 

 widely planted in Europe and America when first grown for 



