The Leon reporter., 1901-03-07
Origin and Development of the Apple
Blossom.
E. g. Gor. Professor of Horticulture Univer.
sity of WISCONSIN

Origin and Development of the Apple
Blossom.
E. 9: Gor. Professor OF Horticulture, Univer-
sity of Wisconsin.
Forecasting the apple crop. To
what extent may we anticipate the ap-
pie crop? Without microscopic ex-
animation we can only give an opinion
as to the yield of fruit we may expect
next year. The buds are a guide to
some extent, but not an accurate one
Round, plump buds on the fruit spurs
generally indicate embyro flowers, but
the tower-buds in some varieties are
so much smaller than they are in 9TH
ers that they are almost certain to de-
ceive one who has not made care
full study Of the subject. A sharp razor
and high-power pocket lens, with
little experience will enable one to
say positively whether a given bud
does or does not contain flowers, but
without these helps little positive in
formation can be gained.
The development of the flowers. Ow-
ing to a lack of definite information,
| shall say little on the second division
Of my subject. The embyro flowers in
the apple appear to be nearly or quite
as hardy as the leaf-buds, hence the
fiower-buds rarely winter-kill. When
the weather becomes sufficiently warm
in spring the buds swell and all Of the
parts enlarge. The forming flowers in
autumn are overtaken by cold weather
in all stages of development from these
nearly ready to expand to those just
beginning to form, hence the flowers
on the same tree commonly vary two
weeks or more in their time of bloom
Ing. The abundant water with which
the wood is stocked in spring stimu-
lates an exuberant growth and puts
stop to flower formation in buds in
which it has not commenced in
autumn. Very rarely this rapid growth
appears to cause lower-bud to re-
vert to 4 leaf-bud, but this certainly
does not often happen in our orchard
trees.
After the flowers have expanded the
subject of pollination assumes i'm
portance. Prof. Waite's experiments
have shown that the varieties of apple
are very often sterile, or nearly so, to
their own pollen; that is, they will
not bear fruit unless they receive pol
len from another variety. This fact is
of great Importance in the planting
and top-grafting of orchards. Experi-
ments seem to show .lso that pro-
longed rain during the blooming sea-
son may injure the virility Of pollen, as
well as prevent insects from distribut-
ing it. A very light frost while the
flowers are open is almost certain de-
struction to the pistils, but there are
doubtless causes that affect the virility
Of the flowers that lie deeper than any
l have mentioned, and that are very
little understood. We know that the
fruit on all trees does not always "set"
well, even when weather conditions
seem favorable. and that the fruit
often drops badly shortly after set
ting. It is not enough that the sta
mems shall yield pollen. and that this
pollen shall be deposited on the stig-
ma. The pollen, the Stigma and the
embyro must all be in healthy con-
dition, or formulation does not result.
Inese subjects call for much further
investigation.
Practical deductions. Let US now
consider some Of the practical deduc-
tions from the foregoing statements. l
have often alluded to favorable condi-
tions for flower formation. What are
these conditions? They involve the
whole environment of the apple tree.
Though largely climatic, they are to a
considerable extent susceptible to
treatment. We must have, first, fav-
orable growth conditions to produce
plenty of healthy leaves and buds, and
we should remember that all leaves
and buds are formed on new growth.
This means q moderate temperature,
plenty Of moisture early in the season.
and especially during late autumn and
winter. wise pruning and fertilizing.
and freedom from injurious parasites.