377 



ported Cattleyas, though in the main 



their needs are identical. Potted in the 



leaf-mould mixture now so generally 



advocated, the plants should be placed 



in a warm part of the Cattleya-house; 



if carefully watered whilst growing, and 



given a decided rest when growth has 



ceased, there need belittle fear of failure. 



„ 01 W. H. YOUNG, 



.bast bheen. 



THE FRUITING QUINCES. 

 We would speak of the Quinces for 

 their beauty of flower as well as for their 

 fruit. There are two points all in favour 

 of this tree, one being its fondness for 

 damp soils unsuited to most other fruit 

 trees, while from its late season of bloom 

 it is far less exposed to injury from spring 

 frosts than most of our orchard trees. 

 Join to this its few wants, easy culture, 

 and freedom from pests, and it seems 

 strange that the Quince should ever have 

 sunk to its present place in the waste 

 corners of our fruit gardens. The present 

 demand for the Quince altogether out- 

 runs the supply, while to many it is an 

 unknown fruit. Within recent years 

 Quince culture has been taken up in the 

 United States with characteristic tho- 

 roughness, and though the plantations 

 are not yet in full bearing, a good return 

 is secured, local demand is fast increas- 

 ing, and an average yield of over 400 

 full-sized Quinces to each tree shows 

 what can be done by careful culture. 

 There is a large area in the south of 

 England and Ireland in which Quince 

 culture might be made a profitable in- 

 dustry , equally fine samples of fruit com- 

 ing from Kent and Sussex, and the gar- 

 dens of Gloucester and South Wales. 



Messrs. Longley, of Rye, the manufac- 

 turers of Quince marmalade, often have 

 difficulty in finding fruit, and this is but 

 one of the uses of the Quince. 



The tree will do well in almost any 

 soil which is not too compact or too 

 sandy, and not overcharged with lime. 

 Cool bottom-land and the fringes of 

 ponds and watercourses suit it admira- 

 bly, and even wet ground liable to flood- 

 ing is not against it if the soil is fairly 

 porous. In dry soils thegrowth is weaker, 

 and the fruit smaller and strong in fla- 

 vour, butwith care in watering fair crops 

 may be gathered even upon light land. 

 The growth of the Quince is slow, tor- 

 tuous, and apt to straggle, but plants of 

 several years old may be moved without 

 risk if allowed a year of rest before fruit- 

 ing. Being a shallowrooter with masses 

 of fibrous roots near the surface, there 

 must be no deep digging, a dressing of 

 manure in autumn, a slight mulch in 

 summer, and light hoeing to keep down 

 weed, being all that is required in this 

 way. The blossoms come upon side 

 shoots which push five or six leaves be- 

 fore the flower appears — mostly in early 

 June when the worst frosts are over. 

 Though its lateness in bloom is a gain 

 in spring the lateness of its fruits in au- 

 tumn requires in our country a sunny 

 and sheltered situation if the crop is to 

 mature upon the trees and the season's 

 growth be ripened. Upon trees left to 

 themselves heavy and lighter crops are 

 generally borne in succeeding years ; the 

 aim of good cultivation is to equalise the 

 yield by thinning when above the aver- 

 age. It pays also to feed a full crop with 

 liquid manures, the gain of size and 



