fi^i 



^12 liUlNCES IN CENTUAI- NKW V(.1;K. 



(5.) Worthless. 



(0.) A fine Pear. Keeps well till (.'hristinas, or 1st Jamuiry. 

 (7.) Your variety cannot be true, as this is a long keeper, of fine quality. Our 

 specimens are yet beautiful. It keeps till May. — Ed.] 



QUINCES IN CENTRAL NEW YORK. 



BY C. E. GOODIUCII, UTICA, N. Y. 



Twelve years ago few people believed that Quinces could be grown in the valley of 

 the Mohawk, although it was known that they were cultivated at Clinton, in the south 

 part of the county. About that time a few trees began to bear fruit, in this city, in 

 gardens having a clay soil, and situated at various elevations above the river, — say 

 from fifteen to seventy feet. 



In the spring of 1843, I procured a few trees from Clinton, three or four years old, 

 which I planted in my garden, on the high ground near the Insane Asylum. These I 

 have since increased to some hundreds, by suckers and cuttings, mostly for the purpose 

 of stocks for Pears. Those set for bearing fruit, stand in a light, sandy loam, though a 

 few are in swamp muck, where sand is an ingredient of the soil. A part of those in 

 the sandy loam have a light, sandy sub-soil ; but those which have done best have a 

 clay hard-pan sub-soil. These last have suffered least from the effects of winter, and 

 have borne most fruit. They were all set in deep, large holes, filled mostly with good 

 top soil, with which a little lime rubbish was mingled. This last was mostly obtained 

 from the soap factory, and was mixed with leached ashes. Those set upon the hard- 

 pan were upon a moderate slope, falling to the south, but not sufficiently to prevent 

 the holes from becoming a water cup, into which the water actually percolated, in the 

 early spring, when they were dug. Theoretically, I cannot now approve of setting 

 fruit trees in such a position, though practically, it has worked well. The roots, most 

 probably, have always become dry before the weather was warm enough to excite veg- 

 etation. If so, the temporary influence of cold water about the roots could not injure 

 them. One of the trees thus situated, whose top you could gather under a five bushel 

 basket, has, again and again, borne three pecks of Quinces, in a single year. 



A little manure, widely spread and faithfully dug in the spring, has been found 

 useful. This has usually been coarse, low manure. For the first few years I gave my 

 trees a regular salting in the spring, but have neglected to do so for three or four years. 

 Possibly there is yet an abiding influence of these early applications. I, however, 

 doubt the necessity of its application. During the first two or three years after they 

 began to flower, the petals were all eaten up by a sort of winged ant. I have also 

 lost a few by the borer, as I suppose, although I have not had time to look for h:m, 

 and have used no precautions against him. 



My trees have no protection from the cold west wind, beyond the influence of a 

 distant high fence, and of an occasional Plum tree standing near. On the whole, my 



