The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1900-03-28

apple may nave tllS propensity Tor Ten
years or more, but with the most va
rieties the dropping Of the fruit con-
tinues only two or three years, but
older trees will show the same result If
stimulated to a very vigorous growth.
Many frIit growers confuse this with
self-sterility, but the two result from
wholly different causes.
DESTRUCTION BY RAINS
The weather hiss something to do
with the matter. Tue injury to fruit
blossoms from nnfagoFable weather
may come while they are yet in the bud
or during the blooming season. Many
peach growers have cut open peach
buds after hard winter aud noticed
the blaekened pistsi il the centre.
Again, late frost, when the flowers
are open, has ruined many bright pros
pects. The winter or spring frost in
jury, however, il not always apparent
in the blossom The pistils Of some
flowers may seem to be well developed,
but may yet be SO weakened that they
cannot produce fruit PrOtraeled rains
during the blooming season are also
likely to seriously decrease the setting
Of fruit, and one authority estimates
that In California more fruit is lost
from cold rains than from all other
causes pat together. There ls no way
OF avoiding this difficulty, bat il y in
teresting to know how it is caused. Il
is presumed that the rains prevent the
pollen from reaching the stigma be-
cause IL becomes too wet 70 fioat in the
air, aud also because bees and other in
sects which aid in cross pollinatioa
cannot then WORK among the blossoms,
bat this is 8 very incidental result,
since most Of the pollen Is not then yet
out of the anthers, The pollen grains
are still inside and also much swollen
with water. II the rain lasts Only q
day or two no harm viii result, bat if
the rain lasts for several days the vitaIi-
ty Of the pollen may be destroyed
Rainy weather also resards the opening
of the flowers waich often partially
offsets the injurious effects 5f the rIin
itself During rainy weather the pistils
remIin receptive much longer than
usual, but rarely over three days. Tne
influences Of the weather in decreasing
the setting Of fruit Is often great, but,
as stated, there is 20 remedy.
SELF srERILfrY.
The trees that blossom year after
year, but set no fruit, are generally in
s)lid blocks or az distance from other
varieties. Iftrees OF this same variety
are planted near other varieties they
areoften made fruitful 'Seif STERILE
means ''self-aufruitfdI," aud a self
sterile variety is one which is unable to
set fruit when planted alone. There
must be other varieties near it to mike
it fruit we'll. The Miner aud Wild
Goose plums are commonly self-sterile,
aud this has also been observed in large
blocks of Keifer pears. Many unsatis-
factory results are due, therefore. to
isolation or indiseriminate mixing Of
varieties. Tue cause Of seIf-sterility is
the failure Of the p1lleu Of variety to
fertilize the pistils Of that same variety.
Sometimes the pistiIs are weak and also
the stamens, and then again the sla-
mems aad the pistils may not M ltare
at the same time. Thepollsn grains Of
self-sterile varieties may be, and gen
orally are, well f5rmed, but the pollen
Is usually impOtent on its associated
pistiIs, though it will easily fsrtiIizs
other varieties To insure fruit and
escape the falling Of the fruit TO Ger
tain extent il is safe 70 use Two or more
varieties Frequently when the in
terror OF large blOek Of trees shows
no fruit the trees on the outside, fad
joining other varieties, give 60 ID crops.
Among pears not only the Ksifer, bit
the Bartlett, Clapp, Duehesse and Idaho
tend to be sterile When selecting two
varieties an important point is to select
such as blossom at the same time
Those vino are not we'll informed in
this particular should make inquiries OF
experienced growers, 50 as 70 avoid
mistake. Some varieties have an
affinity" for each other, aad will give
better results when they are thus as
sociated. The matter Of loss OF fruit
from the causes mentioned should De
carefully considered, and in planting
orchards study Of varieties and the
management to be adopted should be
the rule before a tree IS placed in the
ground