An Encyclopedia of Horticulture. 



267 



Quince — continued. 

 quantities, to Apples when cooking, to give briskness 

 and increased flavour. Tlie chief use of the Quince-tree 

 is, perhaps, that of providing stocks whereon to graft 

 Pears. It is naturally inclined to root near the surface, 

 and the roots are fibry, in comparison with those of the 

 Pear itself, which is also used. The Quince stock 

 possesses, in most instances, the valuable property of 

 dwarflng the growth of Pear-trees, and causing them to 

 become more productive than they would be on their own 

 roots : hence, it is extensively and most succossfidly iised 

 for this purpose {see Pear). Most orchards — in all the 

 southern parts of the country, at least — are furnished 

 with one or more specimens of Quince. The trees seldom 

 perfect theii" fruit northwards. 



Fig. 345. Fruit and Leaves uf Portugal Quince. 



Propagation is most generally effected by cuttings 

 and by layers : by seeds also, when any arc obtainable. 

 Cuttings of the current year's wood, with a heel of two- 

 year-old wood attached, may be inserted in the open 

 ground, early in autumn. They soon root, and will be 

 ready for grafting or budding about the second, or some- 

 times the third, year afterwards. Layers may be obtained 

 in quantity from an old stool that has been cut down. 

 Young shoots proceed from the base, and when firm 

 enough, the following autumn, these may be layered, 

 or the stock itself covered with soil, into which the 

 new growths will root. The following autumn, they may 

 be detached and planted in nursery rows, and the next 

 year other young ones will again proceed from the 

 stock, which may, in turn, be similarly treated. 



The Quince is not naturally inclined to grow straight 

 and upright ; to get standard trees, therefore, consider- 

 able attention and encouragement are necessary in train- 

 ing to get a vigorous and tolerably straight stem. As 

 a stock, the Quince is not much required to form 

 standards : the straight stem may be obtained, as a rule, 

 more easily by adopting a system of double-grafting, as 

 described under Fear. 



Quince-trees succeed best in rather moist situations, 

 where the soil is rich and somewhat light, not of a 

 heavy, clayey nature. An open, sunny situation is neces- 

 sary where the ripening and perfecting of fruit is of 

 importance. The fruits may be allowed to hang on the 

 tree until the approach of frost : they are seldom ripe 

 before the end of October. When gathered, they should 

 be laid on clean straw, or on a cool fruit-room shelf, 

 away from other specimens of fruit, until becoming quite 

 yellow, when they will be fit for use. 



Quince — continued. 



There are only tliree principal varieties of Quince 

 cultivated for the use of their fruits. These arc enume- 

 rated below. 



Apple-shaped. Fi-uit roundish, soraewhat similar to an apple, 

 uf a rich j;oltlen colour when ripe. Ti-ee very productive. 



Pear-shaped, l-ruit pyrifomi, rather largei- than the precetlins, 

 ami later in ripening ; skin also iialur-cnloiu'oii, and rather woolly. 

 This is the variety most conunonly gruwn. 



Portugal. Fruit very largi', sometimes 4in. long and 3in. in 

 diauieter at the thickest part, elnngatetl, and often irregular in 

 outline ; skin deej) yellow, thickly covered with a woolly suh- 

 stance. This variety is superior in flavour to either of the 

 others, but the tree is nut s<i pruchictive. It grows very 

 vigfiroiisly. Si'e Fi.u. 345. 



QUINCE, BENCrAL. Srt mgle. 



QUININE PLANTS. The principal of these are 

 several t>peL-ies of Cinchuna, viz., C. Calisaya, C Ledger- 

 iana, C. officinalis, G. miccirubra, &c. 



QUZNQUE. A term, used in Latin compounds, sig- 

 nifying five ; e.ij., Quinqucfoliolate, five-leaved ; Quinque- 

 ncrved, applied to a loaf having five ribs all proceeding 

 from the same point of the base. 



QUINST-BERRY. The fruit of Rihex nigrum. 



QUINTILIA. A synonym of Staurauthera (which 

 see). 



QUISQUAIiIS (from qiiis, who. and <; units, what 

 kind ; it was uncertain, when the name was given, to 

 what class or order the genus belonged). Okd. Combre- 

 Incea. A genus consisting of two species of stove, 

 climbing shrub.s, witli slender branchlets, natives of 



■VS^2 





Fiu. 315. Flowering Branciilet of Quisiji'alis i.ndica. 



tropical Asia and tropical and South Africa. Flowers 

 white or red (colours variable), showy, disposed in short, 

 axillary and terminal spikes, sometimes racemose ; calyx 

 tube produced a considerable length above the ovary; 

 petals five, large or small, obtuse. Fruit rather large, 

 dry, oblong, coriaceous, five-winged, one-seeded. Leaves 

 opposite or nearly so, membranous, oblong or obovate. 



