No. 2. 



The Whole Secret of Growing Quinces. 



55 



broken up by a team of horses and a good 

 plough, set so as to turn a clean furrow. 

 Following this team comes the subsoil 

 plough, drawn by a powerful pair of oxen. 

 This breaks up and stirs the soil twice the 

 usual depth. Most persons spread a coat of 

 manure before ploughing. It is my practice 

 to have it scattered along in the bottom of 

 each furrow, from a light cart, which fol- 

 lows the subsoil plough. This places it at 

 the bottom of my soil, which, as it is a 

 loamy one, is the best place for it; because 

 it enriches the poorest layer, and being al- 

 ways damp, it is, I conceive, always more 

 soluble, and ready for the roots to take up, 

 than when mixed with the top soil. 



The soil, thoroughly ploughed and pre- 

 pared, planting may commence. 1 prefer 

 the spring, but I have often been equallv 

 successful in the autumn. But in either 

 case, by all means, " take time by the fore- 

 lock." Not later than the first of Novem- 

 ber, or the 10th of April, for the latitude of 

 New York may, I think, be safely given as 

 sound advice. 



Dig your holes twice as large as the roots 

 of the trees, and eighteen inches deep. Have, 

 if possible, half a barrel full of good compost 

 — stable manure and bog earth well mixed 

 for three months previously, — for each tree. 

 Shorten in the branches — one-half of the 

 last year's growth — before you set the trees, 

 and give the roots a good drenching with 

 water before you cover them entirely with 

 soil. Press the earth moderately about the 

 roots, and leave the soil round the stem con- 

 cave like a saucer, to catch the showers. In 

 tliis way, if you lose one plant in a hundred, 

 it will be an exception to my usual good 

 luck. 



In orchard plantation, I would recommend 

 the quince tree to be put out in rows: the 

 trees to be ten feet apart, and the rows to be 

 twelve feet apart. This will be near enough 

 in good soil, deep, and prepared as I have 

 just described. You will be able to gather 

 a good crop of fruit from such a plantation 

 three years after it is made; and if it is well 

 treated, it will continue in a productive state 

 for thirty years. Such quinces as I have 

 grown in this way will always command 

 two cents a piece in the New York market, 

 when those carelessly grown, are not worth 

 half that sum; and I doubt if there is any 

 much more certain and piofitable orchard 

 crop than the qiiince. I ought to observe, 

 that for many years open spaces in the 

 ground occupied by the quince orchard, may 

 be cropped with potatoes, sugar beets, and 

 the like, with profit and advantage to the 

 trees themselves. 



The annual treatment which I give my 



quince plantations, is, as nearly as possible, 

 as follows: I prime my trees in the autumn, 

 just after the fall of the leaf This pruning 

 consists in cutting out as little as possible, 

 mainly old or decayed wood, or any branches 

 that make the head too thick or unsightly. 



In November I fork in around the roots of 

 each tree, five or six shovelfuls of fresh sta- 

 ble manure. This dissolves in part by the 

 autumn rains, and fills the soil with soluble 

 matter ready for the first absorption by the 

 young fibres in spring. When the spring 

 opens, I have the ground ploughed between 

 the rows, and lightly stirred beneath the 

 trees. Directly after this, I give the whole 

 a broadcast spread of salt, at the rate of ten 

 bushels to the acre, or just a light coat suffi- 

 cient to half conceal the ground under eacli 

 tree. The cheapest and best salt for this 

 purpose, is the refuse salt of the packing 

 iiouses, to be had in all large cities where 

 meat is packed for exportation. 



I observe that one of your correspondents 

 in Oneida county, has recommended salt for 

 this tree in the last number of your journal. 

 It is a good thing — I may say, the best thing 

 for this fruit. I have used it now for five 

 years, very plentifully, and can say with 

 much confidence, that it is the sine qua non 

 for the quince tree. Deep green foliage, 

 thrifty growth, and large fair fruit, have, 

 with me, invariably followed its judicious 

 application. The quince and the plum will 

 bear more of it than any other fruit tree; 

 and provided there is sufficient strength in 

 the soil — that is, provided manure is also 

 given — it may be used every year with de- 

 cided advantage. I have found by experi- 

 ence, two things: first, that necessary as 

 manure is to the quince tree, yet common 

 manure without salt will not give the very 

 finest quinces; and second, that a poor soil 

 will not bear heavy doses of salt without in- 

 jury to vegetation. . 



Every tree has its insect. The only one 

 worth notice, that infests the quince, is a 

 little rascal, a sort of Scolytus, I believe, 

 that kills the ends of the branches. The 

 egg is deposited about midsummer. The 

 next spring, the little grub which succeeds 

 it, cats through to the pith of the branch, 

 and cuts away the sap vessels just at the 

 time — midsummer — when they are most 

 wanted. Of course, the shoot above the 

 insect withers and turns black. If this is 

 " let alone," it will spread over your whole 

 plantation. If, on the contrary, you give a 

 little attention to it — say a few minutes 

 every day. from the first day in June, that 

 the dying shoots begin to show themselves, 

 cutting off the limb six inches below where 

 it is blackened, and burning up the trim- 



