312 



SYSTEMATIC POMOLOGY 



the older of tlie two quinces; ripens its crop two weeks earlier; 

 is much less subject to blight; the trees are 

 hardier, more vigorous, and more productive ; 

 and, all in all, the true Meech is a better va- 

 riety than the true Champion. IMeech seems 

 to have been in cultivation in Vineland, New 

 Jersey, about the middle of tlie nineteenth 

 century. Coming into the hands of Rev. 

 W. W. Meech, it w^as disseminated in 1883. 



Fig. 134. Meech. Tree very vigorous, hardy, productive and compara- 



tively free from blight; comes in bearing early. 

 Leaves large, broad in proportion to their length and luxuriantly green. 

 Flowers very large and attractive. Fruit midseason, very large, obtuse- 

 pyriform, smooth or occasionally slightly ribbed; stem set obliquely in 

 a slight depression; basin rather narrow, smooth or somewhat furrowed; 

 color bright golden-yellow; very pubescent but becoming smooth at ma- 

 turity; flesh yellowish-white, juicy, fine-grained, highly aromatic, tart; 

 quality good. 



484. Van Deman (Fig. 135) is a compara- 

 tively new quince from Luther Burbank, 

 Santa Rosa, California. Its value remains to 

 be determined, although it has already found 

 favor in some regions. 



Tree vigorous, hardy, prolific, coming in bearing 

 early. Fruit ripens just before Orange; very large, 

 pear-shaped, with a short obtuse neck, making the 

 shape obovate-pyrif orm ; surface smooth ; basin of 

 medium width and depth; stem set obliquely in a shallow calyx, sometimes 

 surrounded by a short neck-like protuberance; calyx open, with leaf -like 

 lobes ; color pale orange ; without much pubescence ; flesh pale yellow, rather 

 coarse, slightly astringent, aromatic, pleasant, subacid, juicy, becomes deep 

 red when cooked; quality very good; core large, wide open. 



Fig. 135. Van De- 

 mau. 



