236 LUTHER BURBANK 



matchless flavor that made the quince a favorite 

 fruit for jellies and preserves even when its other 

 qualities made it altogether 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, fully justifying its name in the esti- 

 mate of those who have eaten it. 



The transformation thus effected in the qual- 

 ity of the quince has been brought about through 

 a series df experiments that began as long ago as 

 1880. When I first gave the matter consider- 

 ation 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 

 hopelessly beyond the reach of experiment ex- 

 cept 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. Work was commenced 

 by planting seeds of all the best strains of 

 quinces, including among others the Orange, 

 Angers, Portugal, Rae's Mammoth, West's 

 Mammoth, and Champion. All of these are 



