LUTHER BURBANK 
not unlikely that very valuable betterments could 
be brought about. It is at least within the possi- 
bilities that a quince might be developed that 
would be superior in various ways to even the 
best of the European varieties. But doubtless a 
long series of experiments would be necessary 
to attain this goal. 
Whatever the precise steps through which the 
further development of the quince is brought 
about, there can be no question that this fruit has 
a very important future. It has been neglected 
in the past, and the fact of its tendency to vary 
toward the wild type, demonstrates the compara- 
tively slight improvement that has been made in 
it through artificial selection. But the production 
of the new quinces that I have described opens a 
broad new field in quince culture. The first steps 
in improvement have sufficed to show that the 
fruit is responsive. 
The quince of to-day is, indeed, a half wild 
product that has waited long for its opportunity. 
{t remains for the fruit growers of tomorrow, 
working with the partially developed product in 
hand, to see that the possibilities of this unique 
fruit are realized. So hardy, prolific and generally 
attractive a tree should make especial appeal to 
the amateur orchardist. The fact that the quince 
has been neglected, and thus has abundant possi- 
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