20 QUINCE CULTURE. 
all his knowledge of matter, has never enabled him to so 
combine these elements as to produce and build up living 
organic matter from what comes to him without life. 
CHAPTER III. 
VARIETIES OF THE QUINCE. 
THERE is a difference of opinion among horticulturists 
as to what constitutes a variety. Some classify all the 
varieties as being either apple or pear quinces, without 
regard to the other differences. Others class as varieties 
all that show distinctive differences in their habits of 
growth, time of ripening their fruit, shape, and quali- 
ties of color, fragrance, and flavor. To the latter class 
the writer allies himself, and will be governed in his de- 
scriptions accordingly. 
Traveling over this country from east to west or from 
north to south, we find a great number of seedling 
varieties that have no distinctive names, but are called 
by their possessors after the well-known varieties from 
which they are supposed to have sprung, or which they 
most closely resembie. On this point Charles A. Green, 
of the ‘‘ Fruit Grower,” has well said : ‘‘ Almost every- 
thing in the shape of a quince that is not known to be 
Angers or Champion is called Orange quince. The race 
of Orange quinces has sprung from numerous seedlings, 
and there are numerous types of it all over the country 
that vary in shape, size, quality, and dates of ripening. 
I have given this matter the closest attention, and find 
in my travels that the Orange quince is divided into 
many strains coming from different sources. Quinces 
have sprung up in gardens, have been planted, propa- 
gated, and called Orange quince, for the reason that they 
