in>n^ 



THE 



VOL. IX.] 



JANUARY, 1886, 



[No. 1. 



THE QUIINCE. 



The comsumption of this fruit has 

 greatly increased within the past ten 

 years, so that the attention of fruit 

 growers is being turned to the con- 

 sideration of more extensive planting 

 in order to meet the increased demand. 

 Hence the question arises whether the 

 planter may expect that an orchard of 

 quince trees will be remunerative, and, 

 if so, what varieties are most desirable, 

 what soil is best suited to their growth, 

 and what cultivation should they 

 receive. 



With regard to the question of rem- 

 uneration it may be sufficient to say 

 that this matter of fruit growing for 

 protit is like every other business, it 

 needs to be conducted with skill and 

 prudence, while prices will vary as do 

 the prices of all other products according 

 to the supply and demand. If there be 

 any branch of agriculture that calls for 

 the intelligent use of one's brains more 

 than another it is this very department 

 of fruit growing for profit. Not a few 

 liave been sorely disappointed just be- 

 •ause they have made fruit growing a 

 s(5Condary matter, a sort of adjunct to 

 the usual farm oi>eration8. If that way 

 of fruit raising was ever profitable, the 

 (lay has now passed ; they only may 



expect success who will make this fruit 

 growing the business to which all else 

 is secondary. 



We shall endeavor to set forth the 

 conditions under which the quince can 

 be successfully grown so as to yield 

 good crops, leaving it to our readers to 

 determine for themselves whether they 

 can meet those conditions and reason- 

 ably expect to find quince-growing for 

 market to be remunerative. 



The quince will thrive best in a rich, 

 deep, clay loam, that is thoroughly 

 drained of all standing water. It ha3 

 been the fashion to plant the quince 

 bushes in some low, wet place and let 

 them grow as they may without care. 

 Experience has taught us that this 

 method is unwise, that on the contrary, 

 they will respond as readily to generous 

 treatment in well drained ground as 

 any fruit plant. The climate must also 

 be taken into account. The trees are 

 more hardy than the peach and may 

 therefore be successfully grown some- 

 what beyond the limit of peach culture. 

 It is not the wood of the branches nor 

 the fruit buds, but it is the root of the 

 quince that is most liable to be injured 

 by severe freezing, especially if growing 

 in a light sandy soil. Hence in our 



