LUTHER BURBANK 
time they retain the matchless flavor that made 
the quince a favorite fruit for jellies and pre- 
serves even when its other qualities made it alto- 
gether inedible before cooking. 
Indeed, the new fruit not only retains the 
indescribable but exquisite savor of its tribe, but 
has taken on quite pronouncedly the flavor of the 
pineapple, justifying its name in the estimate of 
most persons who have eaten it. 
The transformation thus effected in the quality 
of the quince has been brought about through a 
series of experiments that began as long ago as 
1880. When I first gave the matter consideration 
I reflected that the quince, although it had been 
under cultivation for at least two thousand years, 
had been distinctly neglected by the horticulturist. 
There was a prevailing idea that the quince tree 
would thrive on neglect, and that the inherent 
qualities of the fruit were such as to place it hope- 
lessly beyond the reach of experiment except as 
material for cooking. 
But I could see no good reasons why the quince 
should not be improved somewhat as the apple 
and pear had been. 
So I commenced work by obtaining seeds of all 
the best strains of quinces, including among others 
the Orange, Angus, Portugal, Rae’s Mammoth, 
West’s Mammoth, and Champion. All of these are 
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