259 



Preservation. — Pumpkins may be kept in a cellar, for 

 this purpose, a considerable part of tbe winter; but the 

 cellar must n')t be too warm ; and care must be taken not 

 to break off the stems, but leave these attached to them ; 

 otherwise they will soon commence rotting, at the places 

 where the stems w^ere broken off. — Farmer''s Assistant. 

 They may likewise be preserved in mows of hay or straw, 

 or in any dry situation, in which they are secure from frost. 



Use. — Loudon says of the pumpkin, " Though common- 

 ly cultivated in gardens for curiosity, yet, in some of the 

 country villages in England, the inhabitants grow it on 

 dunghills, at the backs of their houses, and train the shoots 

 to a great length over grass. When the fruit is ripe, they 

 cut a hole in one side, and, having taken out the seeds, fill 

 the void space with sliced apples, adding a little sugar and 

 spice, and then, having baked the whole, eat it with 

 butter. — Neill. Pumpkin-pie, Abercrombie says, is very 

 common [in Great Britain, and proverbially so in New 

 England.] On the continent the fruit is a good deal used 

 in soups, and also stewed and fried in oil and butter." Its 

 culinary uses in the United States are too well known to 

 need description ; but some may not be aware that " Pump- 

 kins are excellent for fatting horses. They, however, do 

 not relish them at first ; and therefore must be kept from 

 feeding till they are hungry, before the pumpkins are offer- 

 ed to them, and let a little salt be first sprinkled on this 

 food ; when they will soon grow fond of it, and eat it 

 readily without salt." 



QUINCE. — Pyrus cydonia. — The quince is a native of 

 the southern and eastern parts of Europe. 



" Varieties. — Miller enumerates — 



The oblong, or pear-quince, with 



oblong- ovate leaves, and an ob- 



loijg fhuit, lengthened at the base. 

 The apple.-quince, with ovate leaves, 



and a rounder fruit. 

 The Portugal quince, v/ith ovate 



leaves, and an oblong fruit, which 



is more juicy, and less harsh than 



" Propagation.— Generally by layers, but also by cut- 

 tings ; and approved sorts may be perpetuated by grafting. 

 In propagating for stocks, nothing more is necessary than 

 to remove the lower shoots from the larger, so as to pre- 

 serve a clean stem as high as the graft ; but for fruit-bearing, 

 trees, it is necessary to train the tree to a rod, till it has 

 attained four or five feet in height, and can support itself 



the others, and therefore the most 

 valuable. It is rather a shy bearer, 

 but is highly esteemed for marma- 

 lade, as the pulp has the property of 

 assuming a fine purple tint in the 

 course of being prepared. 

 The mild and eatable quince, less aus- 

 tere and astringent than the others. 



