THE QUINCE 255 



these related species might give us a combination 

 that would be slightly less antagonistic. 



It goes without saying that a fertile hybrid 

 between quince and apple or between quince and 

 pear would be a fruit of altogether exceptional 

 interest and of the most inviting possibilities. 

 The experiment of hybridizing these common 

 fruits may readily be made by the amateur, and 

 there are few simple hybridizing experiments 

 that are more attractive as to their possible 

 results or more instructive from a scientific 

 standpoint, 



TEST WITH JAPANESE QUINCES 



The two remaining oriental quinces have al- 

 ready been named as Cydonia Japonica and C. 

 Maulei. It should be added that the latter is 

 probably to be considered as a subspecies. Jap- 

 anese quinces do not bear very freely, and their 

 fruit has a great variety of forms, and is of such 

 extreme acidity as fully to justify Beecher's 

 celebrated formula. 



There is great diversity of bloom among estab- 

 lished varieties, the flowers ranging in color from 

 pure white to bright scarlet and deep crimson. 

 Some of them are double. The tree is raised for 

 ornament only. The bushes are aflame with leaf 

 buds early in the spring. A little later they 



