iiSS TIIK QUINCE. 



thg in the cuttings. Small beds may be made, well shaded from 

 noonday sun, and watered during the Summer season. 



Bi/ Layers. These are usually made in Spring, by bending down 

 and pegging, as described in a previous part of this work. They 

 usually form roots the first season, and will answer the following 

 Spring to be cut from the parent plant and transplanted into nursery 

 rows. 



By Roots. Small pieces of the roots, from four to six inches long 

 each, taken off in Spring, and planted with the upper end about two 

 inches under ground, will throw up fine shoots during the season. 

 For propagating Cydonia Japonica, or Japan Quince, this is de- 

 cidedly the best way. 



By Budding and Grafting. The Portugal and Orange Quince, 

 being the most valuable, are often propagated by budding and graft- 

 ing ; and when quince stocks for the purpose are not on hand, the 

 common white thorn answers a very good purpose — often doing 

 even better than the quince, in poor soils, or in the hands of those who 

 neglect cultivation. It is rendered more thrifty, when worked on 

 pear stocks — more hardy on thorn. 



Soil. The soil, for successful growth, should be rich, deep — say 

 two feet — and regularly cultivated, or, in other words, free of grass 

 or weeds. Barn-yard manure, with salt in abundance, mixed, and 

 allowed to lie six months before being applied, and spaded-in around 

 the trees, will often render trees deemed unproductive, and of poor 

 quality, productive, and of the best. New plantations, if to be made 

 in old worn-out soils, should first have a liberal dressing of virgin 

 earth or leaf mould from woods. Free use of liquid manures, applied 

 during AVinter and Spring, have to our knowledge kept a plantation 

 of the quince in fine health and bearing for upwards of thirty years. 

 Bog-earth, or salt-marsh mud, is frequently used in the States bor- 

 derinGT on the ocean or salt water. 



Situation. A shaded situation, and moist, has been almost uni- 

 versally advised ; neither of which is at all essential. Shade, on 

 the contrar}', is objectionable ; while, in soils well SHpplied with ma- 

 nures and salt, moisture sufficient will always be found. 



IVansplanting, Prnuinj, and Distance apart. The Quince is 

 hardy, and the Fall is best for transplanting ; but, when not conve- 

 nient, its roots strike so readily that no one should be deterred, even 

 if left until late in Spring. Newly planted trees should be pruned 

 back very closely, or say two-thirds of the last year's growth cut 

 away, and all branches for a distance of eighteen inches from the 

 crown cut away, thus leaving the tree \vith a stem or body of eigh- 

 teen inches — ^just sufiicient to enable one to dig and cultivate around 

 it underneath the branches. The distance apart for trees destined 

 for an orchard, should be about tw^elve feet each way. The object 

 of .pruning orchard trees should be, to keep the head open and 



