A FIRST REPORT ON QUINCE STOCKS FOR PEARS. 269 



A FIRST REPORT ON QUINCE STOCKS FOR PEARS. 



From Wye College Fruit Experiment Station, East Malling. 



By Ronald G. Hatton, M.A. 



An investigation upon stocks for Pears was initiated at this 

 Station in 1914, where preliminary collections were got together from 

 various English and foreign nurserymen. As in the case of the 

 Apple Stocks, the subject can be most readily divided by dealing 

 with the dwarfing and free-growing stocks separately. Hence it is 

 intended in this present paper to deal only with the generally re- 

 cognized dwarfing stocks for Pears, the various types of Quince in 

 commercial use as stocks. It may, however, be well to say here that 

 the other types of Pear Stock such as the Seedling Pears and Wildings 

 and other forms of Pyrus are also under observation, and that it must 

 not be too readily assumed that the Quince Stock is necessarily the 

 only or even the best dwarfing stock obtainable for all purposes. For 

 instance, considerable differences in vigour and quality of rooting are 

 obvious both amongst collections of so-called " free " Pear Stocks and 

 " wild " Pear Stocks, and it has not been found impossible to pick out 

 types which promise to layer at least as readily as some forms of 

 so-called Paradise Apple Stock. 



The object of this paper, however, is merely to place on record 

 a summary of the commercially used dwarfing stocks for Pears at 

 the present time, different forms of Quince being used almost ex- 

 clusively for this purpose, though trees worked upon the White Thorn 

 {Crataegus Oxyacantha) and upon the Mountain Ash (Pyrus Aucuparia) 

 are occasionally to be found. 



Historical. 



The literature and legend of the Quince appears to be as ancient 

 as, if less prolific than, that of the Apple, and its use as a dwarfing 

 stock, at least upon the Continent, seems to be as well known and as 

 long practised as the use of the Paradise and Doucin. Certainly 

 from the time of Le Gendre's " La Maniere de Cultiver les Arbres 

 Frui tiers " (1652) working Pears upon Quince is regularly mentioned 

 in French pomological literature, and many of the authors enlarge 

 considerably upon its use. The first reference I have found to its 

 use in our own country is by the writer of the " Compleat Planter 

 and Cyderist " (1685) where he talks of taking Quince cuttings and 

 suckers from old trees upon which to work Dwarf Pears. Frcm this 

 time onwards the use of Quince Stocks seems fairly general. As 

 regards the supposed influence of the Quince upon the Pear and the 

 relative merits of Free and Quince Stocks a considerable amount has 



