38 



We are now in position to consider the matter of pruning, which is 

 chiefly concerned with keeping the tree from growing ragged and out 

 of shape, as it will most certainly do if neglected, and in keeping up a 

 supply of thrifty one-year-old wood from which the bearing shoots 

 may start each spring. As in other fruits, the main pruning may be 

 done at almost any part of the dormant season, but preferably about 

 March, and a good pair of hand shears such as are used in grape prun- 

 ing is all that is necessary for practically all of the work. The first 

 operation is to shorten in the long terminal shoots, shown in Fig. 2, 

 and unless there is special reason for wanting the tree to enlarge, these 

 may be cut back from two-thirds to three-fourths of their growth, 

 or even cut out altogether in some cases. The next operation is to go 

 through the tree and thin out the entire top. The severity of this 

 thinning wiU depend altogether on the previous treatment of the tree. 

 If it has been neglected, it may be necessary to remove a large amount 

 of wood, so as to induce an abundant new growth; while if it has been 

 well cared for, there may be only here and there a crowding branch to 

 remove. In any case, experience (either one's own or that of another) 

 is the only sure guide. But the aim ought to be to keep the head 

 sufficiently open so that the center of the tree may not become "bUnd," 

 or devoid of one-year wood. As compared with other fruits, however, 

 the quince may be allowed to form rather a thick top, since it never 

 attains large size and consequently the sun and air will penetrate to 

 the center of the tree through a thicker top. 



Insects and Fungous Pests. 



The quince is really troubled with very few insect or fungous 

 enemies in well-kept orchards. Of course the neglected and run- 

 down trees, which are the too common rule, are likely to be attacked 

 in various ways, but where trees are given anything like modern 

 treatment the number of enemies is relatively very small. Even deer, 

 the newest and worst enemy of apple orchards in Massachusetts 

 (worst because protected by the State), are said not to browse on 

 quince trees. 



Among fungous troubles, by all means the most important and most 

 common here in Massachusetts are the quince rust and the leaf blight 

 or fruit spot. Of these two, according to the writer's observation, 

 the rust is much more common, but when the leaf blight does occur 

 it is apt to do much more damage. The rust attacks both the fruit 

 and the twigs, and at a certain stage, particularly on the fruit, it pro- 

 duces long, thread-like growths over the surface of the affected parts, 

 which are orange in color and very conspicuous. On the twigs it 

 produces knots not unlike the black knot of the plum, though without 

 the even pimply appearance of surface which the plum knots have. 

 Frequently the fungus works entirely around the branch, causing it 

 to break off. The fungus causing this disease is one of those curious 

 forms which have two stages of growth. One is the disease of the quince 



