THE AZAROLE THORN OR NEAPOLITAN MEDLAR ] 293 



selves. They are produced rather sparingly, particularly 

 when the tree is growing on dry red soils, but it is 

 always easy to induce the tree to throw up suckers 

 by cutting a few roots, from i to 2 c.m. in thickness 

 late in winter, and twisting up the farther end towards 

 the surface of the soil, where it forms adventitious 

 buds and throws up shoots in the following spring. 

 These suckers, of course, will reproduce the sort to 

 which the stock belongs, and therefore grafted trees 

 cannot be reproduced in this way. 



Cuttings are taken in winter and should be planted 

 in a cool situation, and kept well moist in spring and 

 summer until they are properly rooted. They are 

 selected of old wood, two or three years old, with a 

 terminal twig of new wood, this terminal twig being 

 the part of the cutting which is allowed to remain 

 above the ground. Layers can be made all the year, 

 the best time being towards the close of winter, before 

 the buds begin to swell, and if notched or bruised 

 and kept moist will form the roots the more easily. 



The Azarole is now little grown as a fruit tree, 

 but the fruit of the larger sorts is quite eatable, 

 besides being an ornament for the table, particularly 

 when it is picked along with the foliage. The fruit 

 matures in September, but keeps well for a long time, 

 until it is preyed upon and destroyed by birds. The 

 tree is little exacting in its cultivation, and pruning 

 is limited to keeping the tree in shape and to the 

 removal of dead wood. 



Besides the native form of C. Azarolus L. var. 

 ruscinonensis Gren. et Blanc., the following sorts of the 

 Azarole are met with occasionally in local gardens. 



i. CARRIERI, with hoary lanceolate leaves, entire 

 or trifid at the extremity, long stout dark brown thorns, 

 and large fruits which are first yellow and then turn 

 deep red. 



