LUTHER BURBANK 



time they retain the matchless flavor that made 

 the quince a favorite fruit for jellies and pre- 

 serves even when its other qualities made it alto- 

 gether inedible before cooking. 



Indeed, the new fruit not only retains the 

 indescribable but exquisite savor of its tribe, but 

 has taken on quite pronouncedly the flavor of the 

 pineapple, justifying its name in the estimate of 

 most persons who have eaten it. 



The transformation thus effected in the quality 

 of the quince has been brought about through a 

 series of experiments that began as long ago as 

 1880. When I first gave the matter consideration 

 I reflected that the quince, although it had been 

 under cultivation for at least two thousand years, 

 had been distinctly neglected by the horticulturist. 

 There was a prevailing idea that the quince tree 

 would thrive on neglect, and that the inherent 

 qualities of the fruit were such as to place it hope- 

 lessly beyond the reach of experiment except as 

 material for cooking. 



But 1 could see no good reasons why the quince 

 should not be improved somewhat as the apple 

 and pear had been. 



So I commenced work by obtaining seeds of all 

 the best strains of quinces, including among others 

 the Orange, Angus, Portugal, Rae's Mammoth, 

 West's Mammoth, and Champion. All of these are 



[212] 



