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ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE BENGAL QUINCE. 
CULTURE OF THE BENGAL QUINCE, OR MAREEDOO OF INDIA. 
The common Bengal Quince is the JEgle Marmelos of Roxb. Corom. and our Botanical 
Catalogues, and the Cratceva Marmelos of Linnaeus’ Spec. 637. The fruit is also called in its 
native country, Mareedoo and Marmelos , but it is better known to Europeans by the name 
of Bengal Quince, from its great resemblance both in perfume, colour, and size to our 
European Quince, and Elephant-apple, from the fruit being fed upon by elephants. It is 
a native of the mountainous parts of Coromandel and other places in the East Indies, and 
is associated with the Orange tribe ( [Aurantiacece ) in Dr. Lindley’s “ Vegetable Kingdom.” 
The generic name AiyXg, dBgle, is from one of the Hesperides. 
In its native country it forms a broad-spreading bush, 1 0 or 12 feet in height. Branches 
armed with simple and occasionally double spines. Petioles 2 inches or more long. 
Leaves trifoliate ; leaflets obovate, somewhat obtuse, denticulate, middle one largest, 
stalked, lateral ones smaller, sessile. Flowers produced in the axils, and at the 
termination of the branches in racemes containing eight or ten blossoms each. Calyx 
three to five-lobed. Petals five, spreading. Stamens thirty, unconnected, with long, 
linear, mucronate anthers. Stigma almost sessile. Fruit baccate, almost like an orange, 
turbinately globose, many-celled ; pulp nutritious and also slightly aperient, it contains a 
large quantity of tenacious transparent gluten, which when fresh may be drawn out into 
fine threads two or three yards in length. It grows to a larger size than the common 
Elephant-apple or Yellanga ( Feronia Elephantum), and is very delicious to the taste and 
exquisitely fragrant. Cells numerous, many seeded. Seeds imbedded in the fleshy 
mucous pulp. The fruit is used chiefly in the dessert and for preserving; the Dutch 
also in Ceylon prepare a perfume from the rind. 
The plant was introduced to this country in 
1759, and was at one time pretty extensively 
cultivated ; but the introduction of so many new 
and brilliant subjects during the last thirty 
years has so far eclipsed it, that if we except 
a few old and curious collections it is now 
scarcely ever to be met with, notwithstanding 
it deserves every cultivator’s care. 
In cultivation it requires a light loamy 
soil, mixed with one-fourth of very rotten dung, 
if grown in a tub ; but if planted out in the bor- 
ders of a stove, good turfy loam without any 
admixture is the best. 
The temperature for its growth and fruiting 
should be a moderate stove heat, and if the 
roots can have access to a little bottom warmth, 
so much the better ; in these respects it associates with the Rose Apple ( Jambosa vulgaris), 
the Cherimoyer [Anona Cherimolia), the Mombin or Yellow Hog-plum ( Spondias luted), 
and the Chinese Lee-Chee ( Euphoria Litchi), all which require a medium temperature, 
free circulation of air, a liberal supply of water, and a moderately humid atmosphere. 
Good drainage is also essential wherever the plants are grown. 
Increase is effected by ripened cuttings, which root readily in sand under a 
hand-glass in heat. 
