258 LUTHER BUKBANK 



the best of the European varieties. But doubt- 

 less a long series of too expensive experiments 

 would be necessary to attain this goal. 



Whatever the precise steps through which the 

 further development of the quince is brought 

 about, there can be no question that this fruit has 

 a very important future. It has been neglected 

 in the past, and the fact of its tendency to vary 

 toward the wild type demonstrates the compara- 

 tively slight improvement that has been made in 

 it through artificial selection. But the produc- 

 tion of the new quinces that I have described 

 opens a broad new field in quince culture. The 

 first steps in improvement have sufficed to show 

 that the fruit is responsive. 



The quince of to-day is, indeed, a half-wild 

 product that has waited long for its opportunity. 



It remains for the fruit growers of to-morrow, 

 working with the product in hand, to see that the 

 possibilities of this unique fruit are realized. So 

 hardy, prolific, and generally attractive a tree 

 should make especial appeal to the amateur 

 orchardist. The fact that the quince has been 

 neglected, and thus has abundant possibilities as 

 yet unrealized, gives it additional attractiveness 

 from the standpoint of the experimenter. 



In case of apple or pear or peach we have to 

 do with fruits that have been carefully studied 



