Smyrna times., 1900-03-14
FARMERS INSTITUTE, SMYRNA
INTERESTING DISCUSSION ON THE "POL.
LENIZATION OF FRUITS"
DR.. A. T. Neal and Prof. q. Harold Powell, OF
Delaware College, Lead Interesting
Parliamentary Discussions.

the farmers and fruit growers of this
section at the Farmers Institute held
in Odd Fellows Hall yesterday after
noon to hear addresses by DIR. A. L.
Neale and Prof. G.. Harold Powell, of
Delaware College. Besides the farm
ers present, Principal f. r. Place with
a class of the High School was also
present. The meeting was called to
order by James G. Robinson and the
secretary was Joseph f. Carter.
The first speaker of the afternoon
was Prof G. Harold Powell and he
took for his subject 'The Pollenization
of Fruits. He took it as one of the
most interesting and scientific subjects !
of horticulture, and endeavored in the |
short time allotted to him, to show the |
effect of pollenizatiOn on orchards that |
were unfruitful. The causes for the
unfruitfulness Of trees may be due he
said to rapid growth; to climatic causes
such as frost, rain and fungi; and
lastly and most important, self steril-
| ity. 1t was ON the latter that Prof.
Powell directed his remarks. After he
had shown the botanical construction
of pear blossom, he went on to say
that pollen in some sections is carried
by the wind, but the almost universal
way is its distribution by bees. The
principal part of every flower is the
anther which bears the pollen and the
stigma and petals which have direct
communication with the life-giving
part of the flower. Bees in diving
into a flower for nectar gather up with
their bodies or legs the pollen from the
anther and in going to a flower of an
other variety, this pollen is brought in
contact with the petals and fertiliza-
tion takes place Nature has provided
that the bee shall be the agency for
the pOllenization. Pollen of one vari-
ETY. very seldom brings good results
from pollen of the same variety.
Hence fruit from cross pollenization is
: of much better quality. The causes of
| self sterility may be due to planting
the trees of the same variety in solid
blocks. Orchards planted in this way
have not the ability to fertilize. If
other varieties are approximately near,
the outside trees will show distinct
advantage over those in the center of
the orchard. Self sterility is a relative
question and depends upon the en-
vironment. In naming the varieties
of fruit that were partly sterile, Prof
Powell included the Keifer, Aniou,
Bartlett and Duchess pears, nearly all
the plums, the Winesap, Astrachan,
Spitz and Rambo apples. Among the
fruit that is generally fertile, he
named the Manning, Sicle, Keiffer I'D
: pears, the Baldwin and Greening
:; apples, and the Concord, Niagara, Del
;. aware and Agawam grapes. Partic-
: ular emphasis was dwelt on the cross
:; pollenization of fruits as an important
step in the science of horticulture and
: with the use of chart he explained
: his remarks very interestingly. Before
:, closing he took up the subject of the
: Individuality in Fruit Trees" He
IS said that in all trees there was some
!, distinct individuality over other trees
II in that they produce fruit of superior
k excellence, and in such cases b,
r thought il was well for the frui'
grower to note this fact and wher,
t possible to propagate from his owl
s. stock.
5. The remainder of the afternoon wa
!. taken up by DIR. A. 7. Neale, VIII,
spoke on the subject: "The Use o
q Lime" His remarks were highly en-
ID tertaining and were listened to will
Ill intense interest by the farmers pres
ent. DIR. Neale said it was a question
whether lime was just what the far
mer needed on his land. 1t had it
advantages and its disadvantages. II
er some cases it would aid crops, in other
it would kill. In fields where gras
IN and hay were to be grown, the sol
at needed an alkali instead of acid, an
~ lime served to a special advantage
r. He did not advise using lime alone
p but in all cases to combine it wit
Mt some good manure or fertilizer. H
offered very good suggestion to tn
ID farmers of this vicinity in explaining
va how western Maryland farmers sprea,
the lime. He said they us
good burned lime, (not slack we
ground, so that it can be put in drill
and the field is gone over thoroughly
In The drill is not allowed to go in th
ground. All that is needed is to scat
ter it freely on the surface. He think
's- the method is a good one and is a
OF tended with good results whereye
Gil tried.
", A free parliamentary discussion fol
N, lowed DIR. Neale's remarks and man
questions were asked him.