The Canadian Horticulturist. 43 



THE QUINCE. 



ON SIDE RING the ready sale there is for the fruit of the quince, it is 

 a wonder that there is not more effort made to understand the 

 nature of this bush. The numerous complaints of inability to get 

 satisfaction from trees set out, show that their needs are not under- 

 stood. Only lately a neighbor, a farmer, was speaking to me of the 

 unprofitable apple trees he had. I casually observed that I supposed 

 paid attention to getting borers out of the stems every year, and he 

 to my surprise he answered that he had never done so, but had left the trees to 

 their chances. Of course, it did no good to tell this man that the trees had 

 ■evidently taken chances against him. It was too late to remedy the evil, for I 

 found on visiting his place later that the high wind had broken off some of his 

 trees where the borers had weakened them. This neighbor does not take any 

 other agricultural periodical, but he has an almanac, and I found he had lots to 

 say about " planting in the signs." It was a complaint he made to me about his 

 ill-luck with quinces that brought to my mind how common it is to hear others 

 say the same thing. And this, too, in the face of the fact that this bush will 

 flourish almost anywhere where the gronnd is rich. I have seen quinces on high 

 ground, and in low ground, and growing well in both places when well fed. If 

 the choice offered I would take a rather low situation in preference to a high 

 one, because of the chances of deeper soil. What it demands and will not 

 thrive without, is richness of soil and coolness about the roots. Instead of 

 .allowing weeds to grow and cultivating to get rid of them, it is far better to 

 spread a thick mulch of straw or rnanure about them. This keeps weeds down, 

 keeps roots cool and enriches the ground, all to the great advantage of the trees. 

 When so treated I have known quinces to thrive and bear regular crops for years. 

 When in good soil and situation there is no more regular bearing fruit than the 

 •quince. When about to plant one of them, see that it is quite free from borers. 

 Then, in June and September every year, see that no borers have made a 

 lodgment. Do not let the bush run to top, but prune it every winter, in such a 

 way that there will always be some new shoots, and some of them spring from 

 near the ground. When the soil is not over rich, liquid manure is a good thing 

 for them, preserving the foliage green and fresh until the latest days in fall. In 

 regaro to variety, the Orange is the most satisfactory of all. — Practical Farmer, 



Cabbag'e Salad Chop a firm white Cabbage with a sharp knife. A 



•dull one bruise^ it. Make a dressing of two tabluspoonfuls of oil, six of vinegar, 

 A teaspoonful each of salt and sugar, half as much each of made mustard and 

 j)epper. Work all in well, the vinegar going in last, and then beat in a raw egg, 

 whipped light. Pour over the sa^ad. toss up with a fork, and serve in a glass 

 ■dish. 



