x f .
4358. H a r r iso n and various other pardoners adopt tho mode of keeping only short spurs, hy which
luch larger fruit is produced. According to this plan, each spur {fig.TdG. a ) boars only oncc when it
«..f succeeded by an
is cnt out, and embryo-lnul(rf; atitsbase. Tliis
Tliis
bud, at the end of the first season,
is no more than a leaf-bud
( c ) ; but at the end of the second
summer, it has become a
blossom-bud (6), and bears the
third summer (a ). Somc useful
observations on tho ina-
iiagcmont of pear trees, in correspondence
with Harrison’s
practice, will be found in different
parts of the Caledonian
H o r licu ltu ra l Memoirs, vol. i.
4359. F orsyth says. “ the constant
practice has been to leave
great spurs, as big as a man’s
arm, standing out from the
walls, from 1 ft. to'18 in. and upwards. The constant pruning of these brings on th e canker • and hy
th e spurs standing out so far from the w.all, th e blossom and fruit are liable to be much injured by the
frost and blighting winds, and thus th e sap will not have a free circulation ail over the tree. The sap
will always find its way first to the extremities of the shoots ; and the spurs will only receive it in a
small proportion, as it returns from the ends of the branches.” ( T r . on F r u it Trees, 187.)
4300. S e ttin g the. f r u i t . In a very curious paper on this subject, by the Rev. G. Swaync, he informs us
o f a pear tree which Iiad for twenty years never borne fruit, but which ho induced to bear by cutting off
al! the blossoms of each corymb of flowers, excepting the lower threo, on the same principle as gardeners
top beans. This succeeded to a certain extent on one tree, but not on an o th e r; the selected
blossoms of the other he rendered fruitful by cross-impregnation. He says, “ 1 fancied likewise th a t the
pointal was fit for impregnation before the anthers were ripe, and even before the petals expanded • and
from its peculiarly slender and delicate make, as it struck me, I supposed th a t it ceased to be in a proper
state as soon as it became exposed to th e sun and air : I therefore concluded that there might possibly
be a chance of obtaining fruit by depriving the blossoms of thcir petals before they expanded, and enclosing
with each floret, in this state, within a paper envelope (as is my mode of effecting artificial im
pregnation), a riper blossom, viz. one that had ju st begun to diffuse its farina, either one of its own or
preferably, of some other variety of pea r.” {H o r t. T ra n s ., v o l.v . p. 210.) He tied up twenty-seven
envelopes on the 27th of March, and took off the papers on the Ifith of A p ril: a number succeeded and
produced n p e fruit, specimens of which were sent to the Horticultural Society, and found unusually
large aud handsome. The rev. experimenter concludes his paper by observing, “ whether the result of
th e above-detaiied experiments be such as to authorise an expectation that artificial assistance in vegetable
fecundation will hereafter become of so much importance to gardeners, in the instance ju st alluded
to, as in those at present recognised, of the cucumber, the melon, theearly bean, and the hautbois strawberry,
must bo lett to futurity to ascertain.” {H o r t. T ra n s ., vol. v. p. 212.)
4361. H a r r iso n appears to have adopted a similar practice. He says, “ it is very general to see healthy
pear trees, which produce an abundance of bloom, but set a very small proportion of f ru it; this is more
particularly the case with th e tendcrest kinds. The reason of such barrenness is in some cases from
th e stamina being destitute of farina, and in others from the farina having been dispersed before the
pistillum had arrived a t a proper state for its reception. T o remedy such defects, I adopt the following
practice: — As soon as the florets have expanded and the pistillum is in a proper state of maturity I
impregnate six upon each corymb of blossom. The florets which I choose for this operation are tho’se
situated nearest the origin of the spur, for when pears set naturally, it is very generally such florets
The time I choose for this operation is calm dry days, and if possible when the sun is not very hot upori
the trees. Immediately after performance, I give each tree about 18 gallons of manure water or soft
pond water, a t the roots. The trees should never be washed over the tops for a considerable time after
this impregnation has been effected.” { T r . on F m i t Tre e s.)
4362. Inse c ts, diseases, ^ c . The pear tree is liable to th e attacks of th e same insects as tho apple tree •
and the fruit o fth e summer kinds, when ripe, is liable to be eaten by birds, wasps, &c., which must be
k ep t off by nets, hanging bottles of sweetened water, and other usual preventives. (See G a rd . M an
v o l.v . p. 52. and 54.) '
S u b s e c t . 3. Quince.— Fyrus Cydhnia L., Cydonia vulgaris W. en.; Icos. Di-Pentag.
Xl. and Roiocdic J. Coignassier, F r.; Quittenbaum, Gcr.; Kioepeer, Dutcli;
Cotogno, Ital.; and Membrillo, Span.
4.363. The quince tree is of low gi’owth, much branched, and generally crooked and
distorted. The leaves arc roundish or ovate, entire, above dusky-green, undei-neath
whitish, on short petioles. The flowers are large, white, or pale-red, and apjicai- in May
and June; the fruit, a pome, varying in shape in the different varieties, globular,
oblong, or ovate; it has a peculiar and rather disagreeable smell and austere taste. It
is a native of Austria and other parts of Europe ; is mentioned by Tusser, in 1573 ; but
has never been vciy generally cultivated.
4364. Use. The fruit is not eaten r aw ; but stewed, or in pies or tarts along with apples, is much
esteemed. In confectionary, it forms an excellent marmalade and syrup. When apples are flat, and
have lost their flavour, Forsyth observes, a quince or two, in a pie or pudding, will add a quickness to
them. In medicine, the expressed juice, repeatedly taken in small quantities, is said to be cooling,
astringent, and stomachic, &c. A mucilage prepared from the seeds was formerly much in use, but is
now supplanted by th e simple gums. In nursery-gardening, the piants are much used as stocks for the
pear.
4365. Varieties. Miller enumerates —
1. ThcoHolonnrg, orpcar.guince; with oblong
:e leaves, nnd an oblong fruit
Icngtlirncd at tbe base.
2. The apple-q\iince ; with ovate leaves
and a rounder fruit.
3. The 1‘orlugalipiince {Lang. Pom. t.73.);
with broad cordate leaves, and an
oblong fruit, wliich is more juicy and
less harsh tban the others, and therefore
tho most valuable. It is rather
a shy bcaroi', but
for marmala<ie, a
property of assuming p
tint iu the c ' ' '
This is tlio best sort for worliirg the
I>car tree uiion, its wood swelling
more in conformity witli that of Iho
latter, than the harder wood of the
otlier sorts.
4. The mild or eatable quince ; less austere
and astringent than the others.
4366. Propagation. Generally by layers, but also by cuttings, and approved sorts m.ay be perpetuated
bv grafting. In propagating for stocks, nothing more is necessary tlian removing the lower shoots from
the larger, so as to preserve a clean stem a few inches above the ground ; for pears should bcworked o t
the quinco as low as pos,sihle ; but for fruit-bearing quince trees. It Is necessary to train the stem to a
rod, till it has attained 4 ft. or 5 rt. in height, and can support itself upright.
4367. Soil a n d site . The quince prefers a soft moist soil, and ra th e r shady, or, a t least, sheltered situation.
It is seldom planted but as a standard in tho orchard, aud a very few trees aro sufficient for any
family.
4368. The tim e o f p la n tin g , the mode o f bearing, and all the other particulars of culture, are th e same
as for the apple and the pear.
SüBSECT. 4. Medlar. — 'M.éspilus germánica L. (Eng. Bot. 1 5 2 3 .); Icos. Di-Pentag.
L. and Rosacea: J. Nejlier, F r.; Mispelbaum, Gcr.; Mispelhoom, Dutch ; Nespolo,
Ital.; and Nespero, Span.
4369. The medlar is a small or middle-sized branching tree ; thebranchcs woolly, and
covered with an ash-colonrcd hark, ancl, in a wild state, armed with stiff .spines. Leaves
oval-lanceolate, serrated, towards the point somewhat woolly, on very short channelled
petioles. Flowers produced on small natural spurs, at the ends and sides of the branches.
Bractcas as long as the corolla; calyxes terminating, fleshy ; petals, white ; fruit, a turbinated
bcny, crowned with five calycine leaflets; pulp thick, mixed with callóse .
granules, and containing, in a normal state, five gibbons wrinkled stones. The tree
flowers in June and July, and the fruit is ripe in November. It is a native of the south
of Europe; but appears to be naturalised in somc parts of England, where it has been
sown in copses by liirds.
4.370. Use. The fruit is eaten raw in a state of incipient decay ; its taste and flavour are peculiar, and
by some much esteemed.
4371. Varie tie s. Those in common cultivation are —
1. The DiUch medlar {Pom. Franc. 2. 2. TheNottinghammedlar; withfruitof
I). 45. t, 2,3.); a crooked, defortncd,
low tree, having a remarkably rustic
appearance, witli very large leaves,
entire, and downy on tiio under side.
Tlic llowers and fruit arc very large.
4372. P ro p a g a tio n . By seeds, by layers, ancl cuttings, c
4. The wild medlar; a smaller tree, «-ith
smaller leaves, fiowers, and frtiic tUau
any of ttie former sorts, and tlie fruit
is pear-shaped.
3. The Uonelees medlar ; witli small obo-
vatc fruit without stones or seeds.
The fruit is not so good as that of the
others; but keeps longer.
0-, - r by grafting on seedlings of their own species,
or on any other species of Aiespilus, or of C'ydhnia, or Cratie'gus. Miller observes, that if the stones are
taken out o fth e fruit as soon as it is ripe, and immediately planted, they will come up next spring, and
make good plants in two ^ye__a_rs_._ _H e pre^f_e_rs r - -s'i—ng from seed to grafting «onn tthh«e rCrrfaotmai 'g«u,.?s . hnrsvth
Forsyth
‘‘ those wiio wish to'’keep the sorts true, should propagate them by grafting on their own stocks.”
says, “ who to'keep shoi ‘ ' ' " ' ‘ “■........... ..
The plant is ra the r difficult to strike by cuttings.
4373. Soil. T h e soil in which the medlar thrives best ii
a loamy rich earth, ra th e r moist than dry ;
but not on a wet bottom. , , . . .
4374. F ilial p la n tin g . The modl.ar, like the quince, is usuaUy grown as a standard or an espalier ; the
former may be planted from 20 ft. to 30 ft., ancl the la tte r from 15 ft. to 20 ft. apart.
4375. Mode o f b earing. On small spurs a t the ends and sides of the branches.
437G. P ru n in g . Forsyth recommends the s.ame sort of treatment as for the quince. Cut out all the
dead and cankery wood, and keep the tree thin of branches when it is desired to have large fruit. Care
is requisite to train standards with tall stems. Espaliers will require a summer and winter pruning, as
in the apple-tree.
S u b s e c t . 5. True-Scrvice.~^6rbus doméstica Xj.,Vyrus Sfir&us Gtcrt. (Fijrus doméstica
Eng. Bot. 350.); Icosándria Di-Pentag. L. and Rosacea J. Alizier, F i-.;
Elsbeerbaum, Gcr.; and Loto, or Bagolaro, Ital. (Jig. 796.).
4377. The true-service-ivQC. is a native of Franco
and Italy; it has also been found wild in England,
but very sparingly. At present it is very little
cidtivated, and indeed plants of it arc seldom to be
found in tho British nurseries. (Gard. Mag.,
vol.ix. p. 481.) In the garden of the Horticultural
Society, at Chiswick, there are two service
trees, an apple-fruited, and a pear-fruited, whieh
bear abundantly every year. There arc also trees
of the same varieties, which bear annually, in
Messrs. Loddiges’s arboretum at Hackney; and in
onr garden at Bayswater. There is a tree of the
wild variety, in full bearing, in the arboretum of
1’. B. Webb, Esq., at Milford, in SuiTcy.
4378. Use. The fruit, which ripens about the
same time as that of the medlar, has a peculiar acid
flavour, and is eaten, when mellowed, like that
fruit, to which it is deemed inferior. In Italy, it is
esteemed good in dysentery and fluxes. The wood, which is very hard, is held in repute
for making mathematical rulers, and excisemen’s gauging-sticks. In France it
was formerly much used for the formation of screws for wine presses. (Gard. Mag.,
vol. iv. p. 487.)
4370. Varieties. In Italy they have many varieties obtained from seeds ; but those generally known
here are only three ; tho pear-shaped, apple-shaped, and berry-shaped. _ , , , «
4380. Pro p a g a tio n . By seeds, cuttings, or layers ; or, whicli is preferable for plants intended to for»}
good-sized and early-bearing trees, by grafting on seedlings of their own species. It may also be inarched
on the Pyrus, Mcspilns, or Cratcc'gus, or tho cominon mountain-ash. On the latter trce_ it produces
blossoms the third or fonrth year, while seedlings seldom blossom before they are twenty-live or thirty
years of age. { Ib id ., \<.4%7.)
m
J j'-.
Ji'’
f m
ill
‘ . M