The Medlar—A 
Cousin of the 
Quince 
The Medlar, known 
to the botanist as 
Mestilus, is a native of cen- 
tral Europe. There is a 
single species only, but 
there are several culti- 
vated varieties. The fruit 
is too acid for most tastes, 
but after being mellowed 
by the frost it is relished 
by those who care for acid 
fruit. It is hardy as far 
north as central New York 
in the eastern states, and 
of course throughout Cali- 
fornia. It is worthy of 
more attention than it has 
received from the Ameri- 
can fruit developer. Mr. 
Burbank has grown it, and 
has made tentative efforts 
at its improvement, but 
these have not been car- 
ried to a conclusion. 
