35 



A fifth variety which might be added, though the writer has little 

 personal knowledge of it, is the Bourgeat. This was recently imported 

 from France and has given excellent results in some places. Mr. E. 

 C. Howard of Belchertown, in particular, has been much pleased with it. 



Selecting Trees and planting out. 



In the choice of nursery stock most growers select quince trees two 

 or three years old. The writer would never go over two years, and 

 would even prefer strong one-year trees. The arguments are the same 

 as with any other fruit trees. The younger tree is apt to be less dis- 

 turbed by transplanting and to take hold better for this reason. One 

 is apt to get better stock in one-year trees, since only the best and most 

 vigorous trees reach saleable size at that age. And, above all, it 

 allows one to head the tree low, which is certainly the only way to 

 head quinces. Among the larger tree fruits there may be some ques- 

 tion on this point, at least there is room for argument, but the quince 

 is at best not much more than a shrub, so that the familiar argument 

 of wanting to get the team up under the branches will not apply. In 

 the writer's opinion 12 inches is plenty high enough to head a quince. 

 If one-year stock is used the tree may be simply cut off at this point 

 and allowed to form a head from new branches sent out below this. 



As to distance apart, authorities differ, but from 10 to 15 feet is 

 usually recommended. With repressive pruning (heading in each 

 year's long, straggling growth) it will certainly be many years before 

 quinces will crowd each other even at 10 feet, and that is the distance 

 which the writer has generally adopted. 



In the setting of the trees no special treatment is necessary. I be- 

 lieve that fall setting might perhaps be justified here more often than 

 with other fruits, for the reason that the ideal quince soil being on the 

 moist side is apt not to be ready for planting as early in the spring as 

 some others. My own belief is that very early spring setting is the 

 best for almost any fruit trees, and that next to this is very late fall 

 setting. The trees ought to be set at least a couple of inches deeper 

 than they stood in the nursery, since the quince is naturally a shallow- 

 rooted tree and the roots will tend to work up nearer the surface. After 

 setting, clean cultivation should be practiced. As in most other 

 phases of the care of the quince, there are no special reasons for this 

 farther than the one already suggested, that the quince thrives best 

 under comparatively moist soil conditions. And, for the same reason, 

 in selecting a cover-crop choose one which makes a good growth, like 

 buckwheat or barley, or, for a nitrogenous cover-crop, vetch or soy 

 beans. This should be sown the middle or last of July. 



Fruit-bearing and Pruning. 

 The method of bearing fruit, in the quince, is one of the most in- 

 teresting and unusual among all the tree fruits. There are no winter 

 fruit buds as in most other fruits, but each spring the lateral buds on 



