206 How to Prune the Quince Tree. 



minal bud for its prolongation, the place of such bud having 

 been occupied by the fruit. As this portion is only furnished 

 with weak buds, it is not necessary to be retained, and should 

 be cut off at 1. 



In rearing the quince tree, pruning is necessary, in order 

 to strengthen the stem ; for otherwise, it is very apt to be 

 twisted or bent over by the winds. Presuming the tree has 

 been planted in rich, rather moist soil, it will send up a long 

 but flexible shoot ; and if from this all laterals are pruned 

 closely off, with the view of making a clean stem, the latter 

 Avill be rendered much weaker than it would be if left to na- 

 ture. The plant should be cut back to within, say eighteen 

 inches of the ground, or more or less, according to its strength. 

 Generally, three buds next the section will push in the fol- 

 lowing season ; select the shoot best adapted for continuing 

 the stem, and train it as upright as possible. Shorten this at 

 the winter pruning, and spur in the laterals. In every suc- 

 cessive year, a well managed young tree, of any kind, ought 

 to have an increased quantity of foliage ; certainly not by 

 any avoidable means, should it be reduced to a condition un- 

 der which it could only produce a decreased quantity. But 

 such condition may be guarded against, and yet the stem can 

 be cleared of such lateral shoots as may have been temporarily 

 left to strengthen it and the roots, if their removal be gradu- 

 ally effected, of course from below upwards. A portion 

 should be removed at every winter pruning, but the quantity 

 should be more than compensated by that of the young shoots 

 produced above, in the preceding summer. By attending to 

 this, and annually shortening the leading shoot, a stout stem, 

 requiring no stake for support, will be the result. When the 

 stem has attained the desired height, the formation of the 

 head should be commenced. Three shoots, cut back at least 

 to half their length, will afford two shoots each, in the fol- 

 lowing season ; and thus, six principal branches will be orig- 

 inated. Afterwards, very little pruning will be required. It 

 will chiefly consist in early checking over-luxuriant upstarts, 

 and thinning out cross branches. 



