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Quince. The fruit and tree of one of the pome class, known as Cydonia
oblonga (or sometimes as Pyrus Cydonia).
Few fruits play a more important part in ancient history than the
quince, and yet there is hardly a fruit with equal or even poorer merit
that in recent years has not received more attention. Scarcely a book
is written on the quince and even practical mention of its merits, its
culture, or its value is seldom made in the experiment station
literature of America.
Perhaps this is due to the fact that the fruit can hardly be considered
in the dessert class except when cooked; and yet it is said that in
Persia and the near East it grows to such perfection that some
varieties are esteemed when eaten raw.
The place of the quince in America seems to be a secondary one, to make
marmalade, to preserve, to make jellies, and for flavoring purposes.
The place of the tree among other fruits seems to be secondary also. It
is seen most frequently in back yards and fence-corners and often in
the lowest and dampest fruit land on the farm. In a few cases, when its
merits are recognized, it is given drier richer ground and
cultivatedwith judicious care. Naturally, the quince is adapted to deep
rich warm soils. The fertility of the soil should be strongly
emphasized, as the root, instead of penetrating deeply, spreads out
extensively and consequently is near the surface. It is slow-growing on
any soil but responds very quickly to good fertility. On cold damp
soils the fruit is inclined to be woody and it may possibly be for this
reason that the quince is not more popular for preserving purposes. On
the richer drier soils the quality is much improved. The idea is very
prevalent that the tree is adapted to low ground. The lower grounds,
generally speaking, are richer, but in this respect only may the trees
be said to be adapted to it. Excessive moisture is harmful to the
quince as to other fruits. Cultivation must be judicious. In many
respects it should resemble that given the dwarf pear. The roots being
near the surface, cultivation and especially plowing must be shallow.
It is common practice to ridge well up to the trees not only to protect
the roots but to permit easy drainage; also the tree being very subject to fire
blight, it does not permit of thorough cultivation with the consequent
succulent wood-growth. Moderate cultivation in spring and early summer
followed at once by a cover-crop or a good sod-mulch is considered good
practice.
The quince tree is small, twisted and dwarf in its habit. It seldom
reaches a height of more than 12 or 15 feet, although some grow higher.
The larger number are much lower. Being dwarf in its habit, the quince
tree can be planted as close as 13 to 15 feet in an orchard, the latter
distance being the more popular. Planted too close, it is forced
upright, like other trees. The fruiting habit is distinct and peculiar,
resembling no other orchard fruit, but is similar to the hickory and
the walnut. The blossoms are produced on the current season's growth
(Fig. 3323). A short growth starts from the terminal winter bud and on
the end of this the flower and fruit are produced (Figs. 8324, 3325).
There is no proper stem or peduncle to the fruit, but the quince sits
close or sessile on a short leafy branch. The wood-growth is continued
by an axillary bud of the previous season. This peculiar habit of
growth gives the tree its crooked bunchy appearance. (Fig. 3326.)
Pruning should receive careful attention, otherwise the quince tree
will soon become too thick and also more or less unshapely. When set in
orchard, the young tree may be pruned to a short whip, as shown in Fig.
3327. The trunk is kept very short; some growers prefer to start the
top as low as shown in Fig. 3328, but the former and probably still the
prevailing practice is to grow a trunk like those seen in Fig. 3329.
These longer trunks are convenient if one is to use the curculio
catcher, as shown in Fig. 3330. The pruning consists in keeping the top
open and well spread (Fig. 3328). To cause the top to spread and to
keep it low and within bounds, more or less heading-in may be
practised; but as the fruit-shoots spring from the ends of the
branches, clipping-in of all the tree would remove practically all the
fruit.
The questions of cultivation and fertilizers are largely inter-related.
Thorough tillage makes available a large amount of plant-food, and
consequently less fertilizer is necessary. However, too thorough
cultivation and consequent succulent growth increases blight. The
question of fertilizers comes down to one of producing moderate growth
of a hardy resistant nature. This means that in cultivated orchards,
heavy applications of nitrates or nitrogenous manures must be withheld.
Phosphate and potash on the other hand can be applied in quantity,
especially on the lighter soils. The cover-crops will probably supply
the necessary nitrogen. If growth is very slow, a light application of
farmyard manure may be made. Lime and land-plaster can also be applied
in quantity.
The fruit is sold in eleven-quart baskets, bushels, and barrels, and
ranges from 75 cents to $1.25 a bushel, depending on the market and the
demand. In Ontario the demand is very limited and there are scarcely
any orchards on a commercial basis. In the eastern states and
especially New York State, there are some orchards of considerable size
(Fig. 3329). The fruit, though apparently hard and long-keeping, is
comparatively easily bruised or marked and must be handled with care.
The trees begin to bear a few fruits the second and third years after
planting but can not generally be said to bear a profitable crop until
ten to twelve years of age. The fruit is very subject to limb-rub and
disease, and must be carefully grown to look well. The ordinary
practice is to spray the tree with dormant-strength lime-sulfur at the
same time that the apples and peaches are sprayed and then again just
after the fruit is nicely set with bordeaux mixture, to each forty
gallons of which has been added three pounds of lead arsenate.
Summer-strength lime-sulfur with the above amount of poison would give
the same results for the summer spray. Judicious pruning also tends to
thin the fruit and improve the quality.
Seedling stocks— Quince of Angers—are largely imported from Europe for
roots. These roots are used also for dwarfing the pear. The trees are
grown much the same as other nursery trees. The seedlings are set in
the nursery row in early sprmg and budded in August. By a year from the
following spring, that is two years from the setting of the seedling,
the trees are ready for the planter. The quince can also be propagated
by cuttings, mound-layering and root-grafting, but the above-named
method is the common one in practice.
Trees received from the nursery should be given the same care as other
nursery trees. Heel them in carefully if the soil is not ready for
planting. Plant about 2 inches deeper than the bud. Head at 15 to 20
inches. If budded trees are used and planted the proper depth, there is
little or no danger from suckering.
The most damaging diseases are fire-blight, affecting the wood and
especially the new growth; leaf-blight, affecting branches, fruit and
foliage; and black-rot and bitter-rot, affecting the fruit. For the
fire-blight, the worst disease, there is no direct remedy, but trees
should not be allowed to over-grow, wild hawthorns and wild apples and
pears near the plantation should be destroyed, and all affected parts
should be removed promptly.
The most serious insect attacking the quince is the quince curculio
(Conotrachelus crataegi). This may be controlled by spraying with six
to eight pounds of lead arsenate to one hundred gallons of water, or in
the place of water bordeaux mixture at the proper season. This must be
done when the beetles first make their appearance and again about ten
days later. This insect is found on the quince in Ontario. The same
insects as attack the apple generally attack the quince and the
treatments are similar. Sometimes the jarring method is employed, as
shown in Fig. 3330, as for the plum, the beetles being knocked off by
hitting the tree with a padded mallet.
Orange (Fig. 3325) and Champion are the leading varieties of quince.
The former is the variety most largely grown in Ontario and previous to
1870 was the only variety. It is large in size, skin golden yellow with
greenish or russet color around stem. The flesh is tender and the
flavor good. The season is late September and October. Its origin was
southern Europe. The latter variety, of American origin, is large,
pear-shaped and on the tree has a distinctly greenish yellow color. The
tree is larger and taller-growing than Orange. The fruit is very late
ripening. Other commonly grown varieties are Bentley, Fuller, Rea,
Meech, and Van Deman.
F. M. Clement.
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