2892 



QUINCE 



QUINCE 



farm. In a few cases, when its merits are recognized, 

 it is given drier richer ground and cultivated with 

 judicious care. Naturally, the quince is adapted to deep 

 rich warm soils. The fertility of the soil should be 

 strongly emphasized, as the root, instead of penetrating 



3323. Flower of quince. 

 It is borne on the wood of 

 the season, not from an 

 autumn fruit-bud. ( X V-i) 



deeply, spreads out extensively and consequently is 

 near the surface. It is slow-growing on any soil but 

 responds very quickly to good fertility. On cold damp 

 sous the fruit is inclined to be woody and it may pos- 

 sibly be for this reason that the quince is not more 

 popular for preserving purposes. On the richer drier 

 soils the quality is much improved. The idea is very 

 prevalent that the tree is adapted to low ground. The 

 lower grounds, generally speaking, are richer, but in 

 this respect only may the trees be said to be adapted 

 to it. Excessive moisture is harmful to the quince as to 

 other fruits. Cultivation must be judicious. In many 

 respects it should resemble that given the dwarf pear. 

 The roots being near the surface, cultivation and espe- 

 cially plowing must be shallow. It is common practice to 

 ridge well up to the trees not only to protect the roots 



but to permit easy dram- 

 age; also the tree being 

 very subject to fire blight, 

 it does not permit of 

 thorough cultivation with 

 the consequent succulent 

 wood-growth. Moderate 

 cultivation in spring and 

 early summer followed 

 at once by a cover-crop 

 or a good sod-mulch is 

 considered good practice. 

 The quince tree is 

 small, twisted and dwarf 

 in its habit. It seldom 

 reaches a height of more 

 than 12 or 15 feet, 

 although some grow 

 higher. The larger num- 

 ber are much lower. Be- 

 ing dwarf in its habit, 



3324. Quince, showing method the Quince tree can be 

 of bearing at end of contempo- planted as close as 13 

 raneous shoots. to 15 feet in an orchard, 



the latter distance being the more popular. Planted 

 too close, it is forced upright, like other trees. The 

 fruiting habit is distinct and peculiar, resembling 

 no other orchard fruit, but is similar to the hickory and 

 the walnut. The blossoms are produced on the cur- 

 rent season's growth (Fig. 3323) . A short growth starts 

 from the terminal winter bud and on the end of this 

 the flower and fruit are produced (Figs. 3324, 3325). 

 There is no proper stem or peduncle to the fruit, but 

 the quince sits close or sessile on a short leafy branch. 

 The wood-growth is continued by an axillary bud of 

 the previous season. This peculiar habit of growth 

 gives the tree its crooked bunchy appearance. (Fig. 

 3326.) 



Pruning should receive careful attention, otherwise 

 the quince tree will soon become too thick and also 

 more or less unshapely. When set in orchard, the 

 young tree may be pruned to a short whip, as shown in 

 Fig. 3327. The trunk is kept very short; some growers 

 prefer to start the top as low as shown in Fig. 3328, 

 but the former and probably still the prevailing prac- 

 tice is to grow a trunk like those seen in Fig. 3329. 

 These longer trunks are convenient if one is to use the 

 curculio catcher, as shown in Fig. 3330. The pruning 

 consists in keeping the top open and well spread (Fig. 

 3328). To cause the top to spread and to keep it low 

 and within bounds, more or less heading-in may be 

 practised; but as the fruit-shoots spring from the ends 

 of the branches, clipping-in of all the tree would remove 

 practically all the fruit. 



The questions of cultivation and fertilizers are 

 largely inter-related. Thorough tillage makes available 

 a large amount of plant-food, and consequently less 

 fertilizer is necessary. However, too thorough cultiva- 

 tion and consequent succulent growth increases blight. 

 The question of fertilizers comes down to one of pro- 

 ducing moderate growth of a hardy resistant nature. 

 This means that in cultivated orchards, heavy applica- 

 tions of nitrates or nitrogenous manures must be with- 

 held. Phosphate and potash on the other hand can be 



3325. The Orange or Apple quince. ( X X) 



applied in quantity, especially on the lighter soils. The 

 cover-crops will probably supply the necessary nitrogen. 

 If growth is very slow, a light application of farmyard 

 manure may be made. Lime and land-plaster can also 

 be applied in quantity. 



The fruit is sold in eleven-quart baskets, bushels, 

 and barrels, and ranges from 75 cents to $1.25 a bushel, 

 depending on the market and the demand. In Ontario 

 the demand is very limited and there are scarcely any 

 orchards on a commercial basis. In the eastern states 

 and especially New York State, there are some orchards 

 of considerable size (Fig. 3329). The fruit, though 

 apparently hard and long-keeping, is comparatively 

 easily bruised or marked and must be handled with 



