The record-union., 1896-04-11
THE WALNUT POLLINATION.
In Interesting Paper by President
B. n. Lelons
Read Yesterday at the Meeting
Of the State Horticultural
Society.

society.
The principal paper read at the ses-
in this city yesterday was by B. M. Le-
long, the President OF that body, en-
titled, "Pollination Of the Walnut
Until recent years, said Mr.. Lelong, no
attempt was made to improve the va
rieties of the walnut in cultivation by
cross pollination, but the universal
practice has been to plant the nuts Sc
lected from fruitful and rapidly grow
ing trees, and the seedlings grown
therefrom on not becoming regular
bearers were dug up, as were also all
trees producing inferior nuts. Trees
producing nuts deficient in kernels
were not uncommon; but were frequent
ly reported and many such trees still
exist. From past experience it is read
lily to be seen how important 1t Is for
the grower to study and know the va
rieties so as to plant and locate them
in the orchard SO that they may assist
In the pollination of one another. In
fact, the study of pollination becomes
essential as the first step to successful
fruit culture.
walnut-or of monoecious flowers, the
flowers necessarily differ and have their
sexes separated, but are borne by the
same tree. The incoherent pollen is
produced by the male flowers, which is
distributed and comes in contact with
the female flowers by the aid Of insects,
the air and wind, by fall Of gravity or
by friction, thus insuring a crop. The
oo1n or yfoY ,iv1o fo
the first to appear and come out gen.
orally together with the first growth of
the tree, although in many instances
they appear before the trees put forth,
but about the time they begin to show
signs of growth. The female blossoms,
or pistillates, appear much later, from
one to three weeks intervening. In
some Of the European varieties the diff
ference is very slight, the pistillates ap-
pearing about the time the staminates
are in full bloom. Instances Of this ma
ture with the English walnut are very
rare.
The male flowers, or staminate cat
kins, after blooming lose hold and drop,
coming in contact with the limbs, and
thus distributing their pollen amongst
the foliage of the trees. The pollen is
limbs and leaves during the blooming
period of the male catkins The fertiliz-
ing power of the pollen is not lost, but
Is preserved for an indefinite period and
a mere speck falling on the stigma Of
the female blossoms is ample to render
it fertile
In many instances it has been OBJ
served that some trees will produce at
h1,v of
sex and few or none Of the other sex.
Trees-as the walnut-that mature
their pollen before the female flowers
On the same tree are ready for fertiliza-
ton, are called by botanists "proteran-
drous," while others, called "protero-
gynous," have their stigmas mature
before the pollen is ready. The purpose
of this curious functional difference
obviously is in favor OF cross-fertiliza-
tion by pollen of flowers borne by other
trees Of the same species
According to the "Gardeners' Chron-
icle," in 1888, reports became current OF
trees in portions of the walnut sections
OF France bearing full crop, but the
nuts failed to harden. the husks, when
about half-grown, withering up. and
few good nuts were found. The kernels
sipid. Reports made throughout were
that while there were plenty Of nuts
there was nothing in them," and after
assigning different reasons for this fail
ure, conclude probably from Imperfect
fertilization of the flowers" Many
other similar instances are reported as
occurring in different groves. Said thai
paper in 1S47:
1T Is common occurrence for the
walnut to be deficient in producing
either the male or female blossoms
which 1t bears, both Of which are essen.
tial TO its producing and ripening nuts
have a tree, now about 20 years old
which began a few years ago to show
blossoms, but those merely female
without one male catkin appearing or
the tree. and the consequence has beer
that after the flowers faded the frui,
regularly dropped of. This season
there being considerable show Of fe-
male blossoms but no male ones. ]
thought OF trying the plan followed by
gardeners in the case of melons and
other fruits where fertilization is no,
freely affected by nature, and having
seen abundance OF male catkins on q
tree at a friends, I asked him to send
me some, and he accordingly sent me q
small paper bagful, which busted and
threw over such Of the female blossoms
as were within my reach. The conse-
quence has been that have now abou,
a dozen fine nuts. swelling out regularly
with every appearance of coming in due
time into maturity. All the embryo
fruit not fertilized has fallen off as
usual. am pleased with the success OF
my experiment. and mean, should my
trees still prove deficient in male bios
SONS, with the assistance Of my friends
to supply its wants, and by taking a
little more trouble 1 have no doubt ]
shall be able to render every female
blossom fruitful"
AS showing this curious functional
difference In our own State, q few facts