The National tribune., 1896-04-30
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
Fonination of Pear Flowers.

published by the Division Of Pathology,
United States Department Of Agriculture.
In the polliBatiou work on the pear, two
distinct kinds Of experiments have been
tried: ]. Simple bagging experiments, in
which bags Of paper, cheeseclOth or netting
with meshes 10 to the inch were placed
over the unopened bids and outside pollen
thus excluded. ?. Careful hand poIlinations
of flowers which were emasculated while
yet in bud, and protected from all other
pollen by paper bags. These experiments
were carried on in large numbers and at
four different places-at Brockport in 1891,
and at Scotland, Rochester and Geneva in
1892, all in New York State The condi-
tions Of the trees were widely different, as
was also the weather at towering time. The
work was dOEe on large number of varie-
ties of pears, several of the same varieties
occurring in each Of the four series of ex-
periments The results under these varying
conditions have substantially agreed, IN most
cases being remarkably uniform. The fruits
resulting from the different kinds Of pollen
showed interesting differences which tend
to corrOborate the conclusions.
1t should also be noted that similar en-
periments were tried on the apple and the
ounce along with the pear work. The
varieties Of apples are more inclined to be
sterile to their own pollen than the pears.
With the former, in the great majority Of
eases, no fruit resulted from selfpOllnatiOn.
The results az rule, however, were less
elear-cut than in the pear, because with
most of the self-sterile varieties an occasional
frrrff tufl calf
none of the varieties were very completely
selflertile. The ounce, on the other hand,
seems to fruit nearly as well with its own
pollen as with that Of another variety. The
following conclusions are, it is thought, fully
warranted from the evidence which has been
given, and doubtless many who read this
will recall observations III practical orchard
ing which give further support:
Many OF the common varieties of pears
require cross pollination, being partially or
wholly incapable Of setting fruit when
limited to their own pollen.
Some varieties are capable Of self-fsrtiliza-
ton.
Cross pollination ia not accomplished BY
applying pollen from another tree of the
same grated variety, but is secured by using
pollen from tree of distinct horticultural
variety-that is, which has grown from q
distinct seed. Pollen from another tree of
the same variety is no better than from the
same tree. This failure TO fruit is due to
sterility of the pollen, and not mechanical
causes.
The impoteney of the pollen is not due to
any deficiency of it's own, but TO the lack OF
affinity between the pollen and the oyules
of the same variety.
The pollen of two varieties may be abso-
lutely self-sterile, and at the same time per-
fectly eross-fertile.
The state of nutrition of the tree and its
general environment affects it's ability to set
fruit either with its own pollen or that of
another tree.
Bees and other insects are the agents for
the transportation of pollen.
Bad weather during Towering time has
decidedly injurious influence on fruitage by
keeping away insect visitors, and also by
affecting the formulation of the flowers;
conversely, fine weather avors eross-pollin-
alton and the setting of fruit.
Pears produced by Standardization are
very uniform in shape. They differ from
crosses not only in size and shape, bat also
in some cases in time Of maturity aud in
flavor.
Among the crosses the differences were
slight or variable, so that their variations
are not to be ascribed with certainty to diff
ferences in pollen.
SelEfecundated pears are deficient in
seeds, usually having only abortive ones,
while the crosses are well supplied with
sound seeds.
Even with those varieties which are eapa-
bic Of self formulation, the pollen of another
variety is prepotent, and unless the entrance
of foreign pollen be prevented, the greater
number of fruits will be affected by il, az
shown by the study of Buffum pears.
The normal typical fruits, and in most
cases the largest and finest specimens, either
of the selEsterile of sell-fertile sorts, are
crosses.
The practical conclusions may be stated
as follows:
Plant mixed orchards, or at least avoid
planting solid blocks of one variety. 1t is
not desirable to have more than three or four
rows Of one variety together, unless expert
ence has shown it to be perfectly seIf-fertiIe.
Where large blocks of trees OF one variety
which blossomed well have failed to iruit
for several years without any apparent rea-
son, it is exceedingly probable that the fail
IRE is due to lack of cross-polinatioD. The
remedy is to graft in other varieties and
supply foreign pollen.
Be sure that there are sufficient bees In
the neighbOrhoOd, or within two or three
miles, to properly visit the blossoms. When
feasible, endeayOr to favor insect visits to
the blossoms by selecting sheltered situa-
tions, or by planting windbreaks.
Too Early Sowing of Root Crops.
Most of the roots, like beet, carrot pars-
nip, and turnip, are true biennjals, growing
their root the first year and sending up
their seed stalk after the root has been
partly dried out and is replanted the follow
ing Spring. Bat in our hot Summers this
drying out, which usually requires a whole
Winter, is accomplished in Midsummer.
The result is that the very early planted
seed of beet, carrot, and other root makes
its root growth early in the season, and by
Fall is ready TO send out seed stalk.
This, of course, makes the root worthless.
The common radsh is one of these natural
biennials that always tend to become an
nual when early planted. If seed are put
in the ground any time before Midsummer
it will produce seed pods before cold
" Gather comes.
Black Knot Vanquished.
Black knot is the great draw back to plum
culture. Last years experiments at the
Station indicate that by
painting the plum knots with kerosene
during the Summer and removing from the
tree and burning early in the Winter, before
the Winter spores scattered, the disease