64 FORMING THE QUINCE TREE. 



season are taken up, when it will be found that the union of the 

 scion with the root has been but slight and that numerous roots 

 have been sent out from the scion. The apple-root is now broken 

 off and the Quince part, which is now a well-rooted cutting, is 



})lanted in the nursery again in the same condition as the rooted 

 aver before described. Propagation by cuttings is too uncertain 

 to be profitably employed. 



NURSERY. This should have a deep, rich, moist soil, and the 

 layers or rooted cuttings after planting should be trained to one 

 shoot. In from two to three years the trees will be of the proper 

 size to plant in the orchard. The advantage of training the 

 Quince in tree form, although it naturally grows in the form of 

 a large shrub, is that the trunk is sometimes attacked by borers 

 and if there are several trunks the borers are certain to work 

 upon the inside, where it is almost impossible to get at them, 

 while with a single trunk the entire surface may be quickly and 

 effectually examined and the borers destroyed before they can 

 do much harm. Fig. 51 illustrates the form the tree would nat- 



Fig. 51. 



urally take if unpruned, while Fig. 52 shows one pruned to the 

 tree form. Good fruit may be grown in either form, the size and 

 quality depending more upon the amount of food in the soil than 

 the form of the tree. 



THE ORCHARD. Tiie best soil for the production of Quince 

 fruit is a deep, rich, moist loam; not one containing stagnant 

 water, but well underdrained, natural or otherwise. 



The distance for planting may be ten by ten, or twelve by 

 twelve feet, according to the nature of the soil; in a very rich 

 soil give them more room than if it is poor. The Quince has a 

 large number of fine roots, and consequently is easily trans- 

 planted with success. 



No fruit responds more quickly to good cultivation and man- 

 uring. A late growth, however, is to be avoided by the 'applica- 

 tion of plant food in autumn and early spring. All cultivation 

 should cease after August 1. For the production of fruit, use 

 potash and ground bone. 



Little or no pruning is required after the tree has become es- 

 tablished, except to cut off the suckers as they appear upon the 

 trunk or from the roots, and to keep the head in good form. 



