120 THE QUINCE. 



The soil for the quince, should be deep, rich, and 

 more inclining to be moist than dry. The alluvial 

 banks of rivers are said to be well suited to its 

 growth. The distance asunder need not be more 

 than ten feet. 



A very necessary operation is pruning. The 

 trees tend to throw up many suckers, which great- 

 ly lessen their fruitfulness, and render the fruit 

 small, knotty, and worthless. A neighbor had 

 several trees, with an abundance of suckers, as 

 represented in the annexed figure, (fig. 26,) and 

 which yielded nothing. By the use of the axe and 

 saw, he pruned them as represented in fig. 27, 

 since which they have yielded fine crops. 



Fig. 27. Fig. 26. 



The principal varieties are the Orange, the Pear, 

 and the Portugal quince. 



The Orange, sometimes called from its shape, 

 the Apple quince, has large roundish fruit, with a 

 short thick neck, and is of a beautiful rich yellow 

 color. It ripens about the middle of autumn. It is 

 the only variety extensively cultivated in this coun- 



