Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1903-07-16
Hand Polllnating.


The Almighty created the vegetable
kingdom, but he gave its dominion to
man. To what extent this dominion
has been given to him man himself
has not yet realized. It is evident that
he has the power of molding the vege-
tables of this kingdom to most re-
markable extent. Take for instance
the sugar beet, which man found con-
tanning per cent of sugar, and has
nodded 1t till 1t contains Is per cent,
sometimes 20 per cent. 1t may be
even possible to do better than that.
In our modern cabbage, the cauli-
flower and various kinds of turnips
We find 1t almost impossible to recog-
nize the original wild forms, so much
have they been changed. AS yet the
work Of man has been with few
plants. What about the thousands
that his hand has not yet attempted to
mold?
There Is much hope to be placed In
the cross pollination Of fruits-espe-
cially in the pollination that is done by
hand. for in that way definite results
are attained. The possibilities Of this
work are very great. Hardy and high
quality fruits, may be combined, even
though 1t may take years to get re-
suits that will be fair reward for
the labor and time expended in obtain
ing them.
In hand-pollinating, the flowers must
be well understood. The amateur will
soon learn that the ovary is the re-
ceptacle in which the seed is formed,
that the pistil is the central cylindrical
portion, the female organ of the flower,
that the stamens are the male organs
of the flower, bearing knob-like bodies
on their tops, in which is the pollen
that is to fructify the ovary through
the pistil. The petals and the sepals
are OF no consequence to the pollinator,
as they are only for the protection Of
the organs of termination.
The pollinator selects a bud that is
about to open, opens 1t with instru-
ments and removes the stamens. This
is to prevent the stamens fructifying
the ovary. If taken before the flower
Is oren none of the pollen will have
escaped from the stamens, nor will the
ovary have received pollen from any
other source. 1t requires little prac-
tice to remove the stamens without
harming the pistil and ovary, especial
ly If the flower is small, but 1t can be
done. The petals are also frequently
removed with the stamens, as they are
of no particular value except to at
tract insects to assist in the work of
pollination.
To get the pollen from another bios
som is an easy task. A blossom should
be selected that would open in day
or two. 1t is cut open and the an.
theirs on top Of the stamens removed.
These are damp and are full Of pollen.
They should be spread on paper and
laid in the sun. When they are dry
they will burst open and let out the
pollen. This is applied to the other
blossom by means of fine brush, the
pollen Of course being placed In the
stigma, which is the entrance to the
ovary. ..
A sack Of considerable size should
then be placed over the fertilized
blossom to prevent any other pollen
getting into it. The sack should be
removed after the fruit has set, and
a bag of mosquito netting substituted.
These will catch the fruit II 1t starts
to drop and will be a means of identi-
flying the crossed fruit at harvest time.
A tag should be put with each polli-
mated fruit, giving the names of the
varieties crossed.