El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-12-26
SUGGESTS REMEDY
FOR STERILE PEARS
Little Complaint Heard From Rio
Grande valley OrchardiSts of
NOn-Bearing BartIetts.

State College, y. NJ, Dec. 26.-Dur-
ing recent years there have been a
number Of Investigations conducted
throughout the country on what is or
dinarily called the self-sterility Of
varieties of different fruits. The results
seem to indicate that under certain
conditions some Of the varieties may
be self sterile; that is to say, they will
Among those varieties which haYa
been reported as self sterile by east
ern investigators is the Bartlett pear.
While the self sterility of certain varie
ties is now recognized, at the same
time it is also known that self-sterility
of fruits is not a permanent feature,
but that this characteristic is in
fluenced largely by local and seasonal
varieties which may fail to set fruit
one season or in one locality on &C
count of self sterility may fruit the
following year or when taken to an
other place
Inquiries from some of the pros
pective pear growers in New Mexico
are being received by the department
OF horticulture regarding the self-ster-
ility of the Bartlett pear under our
conditions. For many years Bartlett
pear trees have been grown up and
down the Rio Grande valley, and as far
as known there has never been q com
plant of shortage Of crop on these
trees due to self sterility. The matter
larger Bartlett pear growers in the
Rio Grande valley, as well as in the
west. One of the largest and most
successful Bartlett pear growers in the
Rio Grande valley says: I do not
think the Bartlett pear requires any
pollination from other varieties, from
the fact that where there are trees of
other varieties in my orchard do net
observe that the Bartlett trees IN that
vicinity have more or better fruit than
In looking further into this question,
one of the best authorities on the sub
ject in the northwest has the follow
ing to say: After working on this
subject a series of years in various
parts Of the northwest, we find that
the problem to a certain degree, be-
comes more or less of local one; that
is, varieties that might be self sterile
in the east might be thoroughly self
fertile here, and vice versa. As rule,
the Bartlett pear is not self fertile;
but with US il is"
From these preliminary investiga-
lions on the subject of self sterility
OF the Bartlett pear under our western
conditions, il appears that the Bartlett
does not show very strong indications
OF being self sterile, Since self ster-
lilty is not permanent character, but
may be influenced by local or seasonal
conditions, it would be we'll to con-
slider this problem pretty thoroughly
in the planting Of Bartlett orchards.
II IS now a well known fact that in
cases where varieties do not set fruit
with their own pollen they can be fer
tilted with pollen Of other varieties.
Therefore, it is recommended, as a rule
particularly for eastern conditions
that in planting orchards the varieties
be mixed, in order to facilitate cross
pOllinatiOn. 1t is frequently recon-
mended that every other row be plant
ed OF the different varieties Such a
system of planting, under our condi-
lions. is not very desirable. Yet in
order to be on the safe side and avoid
any possibility Of shortage of crop in
our Bartlett orchards on account of
self sterility, it is advisable that the
planters use some other variety amOne-
their Bartlett trees The orchard can
be planted in oblong blocks, and every
tenth to fifteenth row be planted of
another variety to be used as a polIf-
nicer. In this way the danger of a
shortage Of crop on account Of self
sterility, can be greatly reduced.