We have nothing to say that has not been well said by Downing, in his
most interesting chapter on the Quince. His _Fruit and Fruit Trees of
America_, by the way, is beyond all question the best pomological
manual, all things considered, which has appeared at home or abroad.
To return to the quince; we marvel that so few trees have found a
place in our collections of fruit. Quinces bear transportation, and
will, upon an average, bring two dollars a bushel. They sell
extravagantly high every year, and yet no one seems to take the hint.
Our favorite mode of increasing the quince, is by layers. The tree
being low and inclined to be bushy, there is always an abundance of
suitable wood to lay down. Twenty or thirty or even more rooted plants
may be obtained in a single season; and the layers throw out such a
profusion of roots that the only difficulty will be to separate each
plant with its roots from the tough and matted abundance which will be
found to have filled the soil. If laid down in the spring, they may be
removed by midsummer, a cool and moist day being chosen, and the
plants shaded until they start again to growing. If this is done, a
second set of layers may be put down to remain over fall and winter
and be removed the next spring.
Trees intended for the fruit-compartment of the garden should be
trained to a _single_ stem, when they will make a low and not
altogether unsymmetrical tree; at any rate, a tree much more
convenient than the quince _bush_ which we usually find in our garden
corners.
Where the seed is to be planted, they should be _prepared_; they are
covered with a thick mucilaginous matter which restrains their quick
germination. Let them be put into water for twelve hours, and the
water will become nearly as thick as paste. Pour it off and repeat the
operation until they are nearly clean; mix them with sand and sow them
immediately.