370 THE CULTIVATION OF THE 



and Romans, both as food and medicine. The blossoms 

 are large, beautiful white and pink, and appear late. 

 The quince is not fit for food, raw, but for preserving, it is 

 excellent, and is useful to give flavor and consistency to 

 other preserves, and the seeds are much used for their 

 mucilage in jellies, and as a demulcent in medicine. 

 The two forms of apple quinces and pear quinces are 

 the usual kinds. The apple is finer, tut the pear is 

 ready for market first. The Angers is, probably, the 

 most useful variety, being so much used for grafting the 

 pear to, and thus dwarfing it. 



The quince is easily propagated from seed, or by 

 laying it, or from cuttings. By cuttings is the proper 

 way. Cut them in the Fall, heel them in and protect 

 them through the Winter, and plant them in the Spring, 

 where the sun won't be too strong on them. The quince 

 can also be propagated by budding, and for this purpose 

 use the Angers roots. Budding is the most certain way, 

 probably, to perpetuate a variety. 



The quince needs a good, rich, sandy loam, and if a 

 stream is near it the better it thrives, or a pond, or any 

 water. If for an orchard, plant twelve by twelve feet, 

 or what is better, fifteen feet by ten feet. The quince is 

 planted the same way as dwarf pears, and to grow them 

 successfully, must be treated exactly as follows, or you 

 will fail entirely, except the tree be near a smoke house, 



