QUA 



QUI 



353 



tines are six or seven inches long, 

 it will stir tlie ground to the same 

 depth that a plough does. It is 

 useful ill taking up all roots. 



PUMPKINS. Pumpkins will 

 grow on any kuid of soil which is 

 proper for hoed crops, but the land 

 cannot easil) be made too rich for 

 them. The '-^ Farmer'' s Assistant'''' 

 thinks they will grow better, when 

 planted by themselves, than when 

 raised, as usual together with Indi- 

 an corn. The hills in such case 

 should stand about seven feet apart 

 each way, and a number of seeds 

 should be planted in each hill, to 

 make an allowance for what may 

 be destroyed by insects. 



A new and very large species of 

 pumpkin has lately been introdu- 

 ced into this country, of which it is 

 said more than five hundred pounds 

 can be raised from a single seed. 

 But these large sorts are not so 

 profitable as the common ones. 

 They are more tender, and will 

 not keep so well. 



"Pumpkins are excellent for fat- 

 ting horseh. They, however, do 

 not relish them at first ; and there- 

 fore must be kept from feeding, till 

 they are hungry, before the pump- 

 kins are offered to them ; and let a 

 little salt be first sprinkled on this 

 food ; when they will soon grow 

 fond of it, and eat it readily with- 

 out salt." Farmer's Jissistant. 



Q. 



QUAKING MEADOW, or 

 MARISH, low boggy land, that 

 shakes and settles under any one in 

 passing over it. 



It has a sward that is tough,being 

 45 



a web of the roots of strong grass- 

 es ; but the mud under the sward 

 is very soft and yielding. 



Such places should be drained 

 when it can be done without too 

 nmch expense. For its natural 

 proGuce consists of the vi'orst water 

 grasses, cranberries, &c. but the 

 soil is always deep, and rich. See 

 the article Draining. 



Mr. Eliot drained such a piece of 

 ground, and soon made it fit for 

 tillage. 



QUINCE TREE, Pyrus Cydo- 

 7tia, a small fruit tree, bearing a 

 large yellow fruit, useful in cookery 

 and medicine, but not fit to eat 

 raw. 



It is easy to propagate the trees 

 by suckeis, layers or cuttings, but 

 they require a moi^tsoil. The cut- 

 tings should be planted early in au- 

 tumn. The trees require very lit- 

 tle pruning; the principal thirsg is, 

 to keep the stenis clear of suckers, 

 and thin the branches where they 

 cross each other. Upright luxuri- 

 ant shoots in the top should also be 

 taken out, that the trees may not 

 have too much wood, which is bad 

 for all sorts of fruit trees. 



Quince trees are highly esteem- 

 ed as stocks on which pears may 

 with great advantage be grafted or 

 budded. This operation greatly 

 improves the taste and flavour of 

 these pears, which arrive at matu- 

 rity in the summer and autumn ; 

 but it is by no means proper for 

 winter fruit, which is thus render- 

 ed hard and stony. This fruit is 

 generally boiled and eaten with su- 

 gar, in^.which form it may also be 

 usefully employed in cases of dy- 

 sentery. Five gallons of the juice 



