Page:The family kitchen gardener - containing plain and accurate descriptions of all the different species and varieties of culinary vegetables (IA familykitchengar56buis).pdf/216

 rather dry. Ripe about the end of October. A beautiful preserve, of a bright pink color, can be made from the fruit. A specimen before me is really beautiful.

.—This is readily accomplished by layers or cuttings, as they root in either way very freely. Lay down the shoots early in Spring, or during the mild Winter months, and they will be rooted by the following November, when they can be planted out into rows till they are strong enough to be removed to the orchard. Cuttings taken off the old plants of the past year’s wood, or even wood of two years old, cut into lengths of about eight inches and planted into moist ground, will root the first year and soon attain to be good plants.

.—A heavy, loamy soil, is said to be the best for the Quince. This is not borne out by results. The finest fruit I have ever seen is grown on deep, sandy loam, manured every season. If they are not well cultivated, they get knotty and deformed, producing fruit of like character.

.—Very little assistance is required from the knife, unless to give a direction to the formation of the tree, and for sbortening any shoots that extend beyond the regular bounds.

species of this plant are natives of all temperate countries, and have been much improved by cultivation. Its fruit is extensively used for making syrups, wines, jams, and jellies; it also forms an excellent dessert fruit, considered healthful, refreshing, and cooling. Of late, much has been said and written on the Raspberry; but as yet, we may say, there are but two or three sorts worth general culture.