MEDLARS. 



fPIIE Medlar (Mospilus germanica) is found in a semi-wild state in some of the 

 southern counties of England, and is indigenous in many parts of Europe and 

 Asia. The tree is ornamental, the flowers are large and white, and the fruits are pro- 

 duced on the points of the shoots. Medlars are generally eaten raw, but they are 

 sometimes made into jelly, or preserved with sugar. 



VARIETIES. 



DUTCH. Fruit large, 2 inches in diameter, much flat- 

 tened ; eye very wide and open, flavour good. 

 Tree spreading and free bearing. 



NOTTINGHAM. Fruit small, l inch in diameter, tur- 

 binate ; flavour rich sub-acid ; tree upright and a 

 profuse bearer. 



ROYAL. Fruit medium, quality good ; tree semi-up- 

 right and a great bearer, even when quite young. 



STONELESS. Fruit small inch in diameter, turbinate ; 

 eye small ; destitute of seeds or woody core ; flavour 

 moderate ; keeps well ; tree semi- upright, free 

 bearer, but not so hardy as the other varieties. 



Propagation. Seeds should be taken out as soon as the fruit is ripe and sown at 

 once. They, do not usually vegetate until the second year. The seedlings may be secured 

 to stakes to obtain straight stems, and when large enough they may be grafted. Very 

 few seedling medlars come true, and the greater part are inferior ; a chance, however, 

 exists of obtaining a superior variety from seed. 



Budding and grafting is the general method of propagation. The pear stock is the 

 best for grafting standard high and the quince for moist situations, though medlars 

 grow very well on thorns. Standard trees are handsome when flowering, and worthy of 

 being planted in pleasure grounds. Grafting is best effected in April, with scions of 

 the previous year's growth, cutting off the extremities. 



Soil, Situation, and Planting. A good loamy soil, moist rather than dry, yet free 

 from stagnant water, suits the in dlar. Light and shallow soils are preferably mulched 

 over the roots instead of mixing manure with the soil in great quantity. An open 

 situation is imperative, for the medlar will not produce fruit satisfactorily when shaded 

 by other trees or by buildings, uor when crowded in orchards or shrubberies. If 

 sheltered from cutting winds there is no difficulty in securing fine fruit, and two or 

 three trees usually afford sufficient fruit for most establishments. As medlars are early 



