THE MEDLAR ] 291 



rather slow to come to fruit. On the quince stock it 

 becomes dwarfed, but commences to bear fruit sometimes 

 when only a year old. 



Besides the common wild form of the medlar, there 

 are now in local gardens the following sorts, cultivated in 

 solitary specimens for their ornamental effect 



1. THE MEDLAR OF HOLLAND, whose fruit is larger 

 than that of the wild form and of a more lively bronze 

 colour, and has finer foliage. It has a more picturesque 

 habit of growth, with angular or contorted branches. 



2. THE MONSTROUS MEDLAR, whose fruit is twice 

 or three times as large as that of the wild type, with a 

 variable shape, but proportionately more depressed. 



3. THE SEEDLESS or STONELESS MEDLAR, whose 

 fruit is also larger than that of the common form, 

 and contains few and abortive seeds. However, the wild 

 form is more productive than any of these three sorts. 



DISEASES. 



The Medlar is subject to many of the fungi and 

 insects affecting the apple and the pear. 



Stigmatea Mespili Sor. produces small brown spots 

 on the leaf, which gradually coalesce and destroy the 

 whole leaf. Phyllosticta Mespili Sacc. and Seftoria 

 Mespili Sacc. produce larger spots of a brownish colour 

 with a darker margin. Asteroma Mespili Rob. et Desm., 

 Ascochyta Mespili Pass., Ramularia xecansPass., Gleospo- 

 rium minutulum Br. et Cav. Hirudinaria Mespili Ces., 

 and Aecidium Mespili D. C. are other fungi which are found 

 on the medlar in France and Italy. All these fungi 

 are kept in check by spraying with Bordeaux mixture, at 

 i per cent. The hawthorn mildew, Podosphaera Oxya- 

 canthae 1). By., attacks the medlar in the shape of a white 

 powder on the twigs and young leaves, and can be kept 

 in check by spraying with Bordeaux mixture or by 

 dusting with flowers of sulphur. 



