^16 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



horticulturist, capable of not only sup- 

 plying a choice variety of fruit tor his 

 own table, but skilled in adorning his 

 home in a way to make it a pleasant 

 abiding place for all who are sheltered 

 •iinder its roof." 



THE QUINCE. 



Since the canning of fruit has become 

 ■ so simple, cheap, and easy, the question 

 naturally arises, what shall we use for a 

 family supply 1 In answer, we reply 

 that in our own family the Peach and 

 Quince hold important places, and are 

 regarded as indispensable. We feel 

 very much in regard to the Quince as 

 the old farmer did about his boiled In- 

 ^dian, pudding — " wanted three hundred 

 ; and sixty-five in a year." Few will 

 <ever tire of good canned Quince; hence 

 its culture is of importance. 



Varieties. — The Apple of Orange 

 'Quince is the best in texture and qua- 

 lity, but the Fear is a healthier grower 

 and more productive, ripening also later. 

 The new variety. Champion, is more 

 vigorous and productive than either, 

 and is also an excellent keeper. A good 

 plantation of Quinces should embrace 

 all three varieties. 



Soil and Location. — Almost any good 

 soil will produce Quinces ; a dry, sandy 

 soil is the least favorable, a strong, 

 moist loam, well drained, the best. 



A peaty soil, on the margin of a free- 

 running stream, almost always produces 

 good Quinces in abundance. 



Culture. — Shallow culture only should 

 be given, as the Quince throws its roots 

 near the surface. The best Quince 

 orchard I have seen is where the owner 

 resorts to mulching rather than culture. 

 Sufficent manure should be applied an- 

 nually. 



Enemies. — The borer, the same which 

 .Attacks the Apple trees, is the worst 

 ,eneiny of the Quince. The best remedy 



is a pint of soft soap mixed with one 

 gallon of lime wash (common white- 

 wash), which, when thoroughly applied 

 from the base of the tree up eighteen 

 inches, early in May each year, will 

 save your trees from subsequent attacks 

 of the borer. 



Continual intelligent care will be fol- 

 lowed by success in nine cases out of 

 ten. — American Garden. 



ROOT PRUNING. 

 The experiments were made on the 

 apple and pear. A vigorous apple tree? 

 eight or ten years old, which had scarce- 

 ly made any fruit buds, has done best 

 when about half the roots were cut in 

 one season, and half three years later, by 

 going halfway around on opposite sides 

 in one year and finishing at the next 

 pruning — working two feet underneath 

 to sever downward roots. It has al- 

 ways answered well, also, to cut from 

 such trees all the larger and longer 

 roots about two and a half feet from the 

 stem, leaving the smaller and weaker 

 ones longer, and going half way around, 

 as already stated. The operation was 

 repeated three or four years later by ex- 

 tending the cut circle a foot or two 

 further away from the tree. By this 

 operation unproductive fruit trees be- 

 came thickly studded with fruit spurs, 

 and afterwards bore profusely. This 

 shortening of the roots has been conti- 

 nued in these experiments for twenty 

 years with much success, the circle of 

 roots remaining greatly circumscribed. 

 The best time for the work has been 

 found to be in the latter part of Au- 

 gust and beginning of September, when 

 growth has nearly ceased, and while 

 the leaves are yet on the trees, causing 

 greater increase of bloom buds the 

 following year than when performed 

 after the leaves have fallen. — London 

 Garden. 



