SINCE CULTURE 
CHAPTER I. 
HISTORY OF THE QUINCE. 
CypontA, to which the Quince (C. vulgaris) belongs, is 
a genus of trees and shrubs of the natural order Rosacea, 
sub-order Pome, and nearly allied to Pyrus, with which 
some botanists unite it; but it is distinguished from Pyrus 
by having many seeds in each cell, and by the abundance 
of mucilage in the seed cells. It is found all through 
Western Asia and Southern Europe, whence its cultiva- 
tion has been extended. . 
The rabbinical traditions of the Jews make it the 
most ancient of all our fruits, dating back to the Garden 
of Eden ; and there, by its exquisite beauty and delight- 
ful fragrance, tempting Eve to commit her first disobedi- 
ence. In harmony with this tradition, is the fact that 
the quince grows in high perfection all through Palestine 
and the surrounding countries. This fruit at Hebron is 
so mild that many eat it out of hand, as we do apples 
and pears. Both Jews and Mohammedans make great 
use of it for various confections, preserving it in earthen 
vessels akin to the crocks in use among us. According 
to the ‘* Horticulturist ” for 1848-9, ‘“The quince of Persia 
attains a weight of fifty to sixty ounces; ripens on the 
tree or in the store, and can be eaten like a soft ripe pear.” 
It was early cultivated among the Greeks, who called 
it the Kudonion Malon, the Cydonian Apple, and used 
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