chap, vil] the quince. 191 



iii the end not worth growing, many very 



valuable pears have been obtained. Some of 

 the best of these are, the Marie Louise ; the 

 Glout Morceau, an excellent bearer ; and the 

 Beurre Diel, a large and finely-flavoured pear. 

 Among' the higher-flavoured pears may be 

 mentioned, the Winter Xelis (Nelis d'Hiver), 

 the Bezi d'Heri, and Van Mons' Leon le 

 Clerc, the last being' said, when grown in 

 favourable situations, to be the finest pear ever 

 known. 



The goodness of all these pears, however, 

 depends a great deal on the stocks upon which 

 they are grafted ; and thus the fruit produced 

 does not always answer the expectations of its 

 growers. Another point to be attended to is 

 the thinning out of the fruit, that more may not 

 set than the tree seems able to ripen ; as, if 

 the tree is suffered to bear too large a crop, the 

 fruit will be small, comparatively, and without 

 flavour. 



The Quince is a low tree, which thrives best 

 near water. It is always grown as a standard ; 

 and the fruit, which is very ornamental when 

 ripe, is never eaten raw. It requires no par- 

 ticular care, except that of planting it in a moist 

 soft soil ; and, if possible, where its roots can 

 have access to water. There are four or five 

 sorts grown in nurseries, but they differ very 

 little from each other. A quince introduced 

 from Persia in 1848, differs, however, from all 

 the other kinds in losing all its austerity when it 

 becomes ripe, and being eatable like a soft ripe 

 pear. This quince is highly perfumed, and its 

 odour is so strong, that it is said to be impos- 



