334 CYDONIA VULGARIS. 
two preceding, and being of a more vigorous growth, it is better adapted for stocks 
to graft upon. It is not so good a bearer as either of the other two varieties ; and 
the fruit is not of so deep an orange ; but it is considered the best for marmalade, 
as its pulp turns to a fine purple or crimson, when stewed or baked, and becomes 
much softer, and less anstere. 
Geography and History. The quince is supposed to have been originally a 
native of Sidon, a city of ancient Crete, now the island of Candia; but it is much 
more probable that it was only first brought into notice in that city. It is con- 
sidered, at present, as indigenous to the south of France, particularly on the 
borders of the Garonne, and to Germany, on the banks of the Danube. By some, 
the tree is thought to be indigenous to Britain; and Phillips states, in his " Poma- 
rium Britannicum," that quinces grow in such abundance in some parts of the 
Wealds of Sussex, as to enable private families to make quince wine in quanti- 
ties of from one hundred to two hundred gallons in a season." 
The quince was known to the Greeks and Romans, and both nations held it in 
high estimation. Columella says, " Quinces not only yield pleasure, but health." 
He speaks of three kinds the " Struthian," the " Must Quince," and the "Orange 
Quince." Pliny mentions many kinds, some growing wild in Italy, and others 
in cultivation, so large that they weighed the boughs, on which they grew, down 
to the ground. He also says that some were of a green, and others of a golden 
colour, the latter of which were called chrysomela. The only kind that was 
eaten raw, he states to have been raised by grafting the large quince upon the 
stock of a small variety, called strathla. "All kinds of this fruit," contin- 
ues he, " are grown in boxes, and placed within the waiting-chambers of our 
great personages, in which men wait to salute these personages as they come 
forth, every morning." It appears from the same author, that quinces were used 
to decorate the images of the gods, which were placed, in sleeping-chambers, 
round the beds; whence it follows, that the Romans did not think that there was 
anything either injurious or unpleasant in their smell. He gives directions for 
preserving the fruit, by excluding the air from them, or boiling them in honey; 
or, by plunging them in boiling honey, a practice in use with this, and other fruits, 
in Genoa, at the present day. He also writes much on the medicinal qualities 
of this fruit. " Quinces," says he, " when eaten raw, if quite ripe, are good for 
those who spit blood, or are troubled with hemorrhage." The juice of raw 
quinces, he states to be a sovereign remedy for the swollen spleen, the dropsy, 
and difficulty of taking breath, particularly to those who cannot conveniently 
breathe, except when in an upright position. The flowers of the quince, either 
fresh or dried, he tells us, are good for inflamed eyes. The root of the tree was 
used, not only as a medicine, but as a charm against scrofula. 
The date of the introduction of the quince into Britain is unknown. Gerard 
mentions it as growing in gardens and orchards, and as being "planted often- 
times in hedges and fences belonging to gardens and vineyards ;" from which we 
may infer, that it was by no means rare in his time ; and, indeed, in all proba- 
bility, it has existed in England from the time of the Romans. 
The largest recorded tree of this species in Britain, is in Radnorshire, at Maes- 
lough Castle, which is twenty-one feet in height, with a trunk ten inches in diam- 
eter, and an ambitus,or spread of branches,of twenty-two feet. 
The quince, like most of our orchard fruits, was probably introduced into 
the North American colonies at the early periods of their settlements. It is very 
generally cultivated for its fruit, and is usually planted in clumps of bushes, 
T.ther than as individual trees or shrubs. Of late, however, orchards of it have 
been formed on the rich loamy spots of Long Island, and other parts of the 
country, and doubtless, in time, their owners will derive a handsome profit. 
Mythological and Legendary Allusions. The quince was considered by the 
