The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1912-04-04

Correspondents inquire regarding
best method of arranging varieties
OF apples in orchard blocks or rows
with reference to effective pollina-
ton.
Prof. C. l. Lewis and c. C. Vim
cent of the Horticultural Dept.
Experiment Station, have done some
excellent work In the line of cross
pollinating the orchard fruits. The
pollen producing powers of eighty
seven varieties OF apples were work
ed out and of this number SO were
found to be more or less self-fertile
and from these were selected pollen
izers for 20 varieties that are more
or less infertile. IL has been
proved that the Yellow Newtown
and Esopus Spitzenburg, which are
two of the most important varie- .
ties for Oregon, both need outside
pollen to cause proper development
of their fruit Fortunately. how
ever, some of the other most val
liable commercial varieties are good
pollenizers for them, notably the
Jonathan, Grimes, Ortley, and Ar
kansas Black The pollen of the
Spitzenburg is not very effective
on the Newtown nor that of the
Newtown on the Spitzenburg. This
latter Is rather unfortunate. for
Il is sometimes desirable to plant
these two varieties in the same
orchard. IL was also found that
even the self-fertile varieties were
materially benefited by the cross !
ing OF their flowers with the pollen {
of others. The apples were larger, h
better formed and contained more +
and plumper seeds, showing the in I
MIGRATING effects of the foreign n
pollen =
Very careful experiments were I,
made by the Oregon station I'm O.
determining the effect of wind as fl
an agent in distributing pollen. a,
Glass plates were covered with vase Ia
line and placed at different heights b.
and distances from the trees when ii
ed with the microscope for pollen ID
grains. Very few were found out Y,
side the limits OF the branches. One OF
apple tree years old that bore IN
1900 blooms had every petal and II,
stamen removed before the pollen II,
began TO escape. Watch was la
kept during the whole time that an
he stigmas were in a receptive ao
condition, In daytime, which last re-
ID about 10 days. and only eight br
ices visited the tree, because there IN
we're not petals to attract them. III
)nly five apples were set, or one
n 800. More than twice that num- 70,
'er OF honey bees visited tree ed
% feet distant in 80 minutes that mi
ad perfect flowers and bore a. Fe
The conclusions derived in the de,
regon Station from their work Fri
ere as follows: sio
/. Much of the unfruitfulness Dis
orchards is directly chargeable ant
lack OF proper cross-polllination. son
2. Mixed planting OF varieties will had
ford the greatest possible OPP yisI
'rtunities for truitfulness. Even law
lt-fertile kinds are benefited by To
in increased size and color of of
uit.
= WINDS cannot be depended teri
ION to carry pollen from tree way
tree. hon
b. The blooming period Of or pos,
ard fruits, for each species. lasts of
I'm ten to fourteen days. No " I
raging should be done on an way
e when in bloom. because of dan aid
to bees and OF inJuring the
productive organs. W.,
6. The distance apart from trees
purposes of cross-pollina- =,
n should not exceed that of .oa
'cks five or six rows in width. con,
e, benefits Sill be reciprocal -
ween the varieties a.,
Z II is imperative that the var lows
les next each other bloom at a co
same time to effect cross oy
linaton.
$. Cross-pollination does not lows
uSint me color or any other but
y a''eI's'lc OF one variety TO stocl
'ther. r,o,,
Il piahung our orchard OF $40 hang
es, mindful of our experience in knee
and
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