Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-11-27
Avoid Apples In Solid Blocks.
MAINE RESULTS so FAR INDICATE SOM
VARIETIES sELF-srERII.E.

When Highmoor farm came into
possession Of the Maine station the
orchards had been badly neglected for
many years and were bearing very few
apples. BY means Of cultivation, fer
Utilization, pruning and spraying most OF
these orchards have now been brought
into an excellent condition. Most of
the trees have made satisfactory wood
growth and are healthy and vigorous.
Notwithstanding this fact the large
Ben Davis orchards have not given salts
factory yields OF fruit with the possible
exception of 1912. For some time the
station has been endeavoring to find the
reason for this.
In connection with the apple breed
ing work at Highmoor Q large number
of blossoms were hand pollinated. In
doing this the young buds are opened
and the immature stSmens removed.
Bags are then placed over the clusters of
blossoms to keep out the bees. Two or
three days later, or ut the time when the
flowers would have opened naturally,
pollen previously collected from other
blossoms Ia brushed over the pistils of
these flowers. The somewhat rough
handling Of young buds, which is nee
essary In order TO remove the stamens,
lessons no doubt the set of fruit over
what would occur naturally. However,
when all clusters are treated alike the
results are comparable.
Several different varieties were used
in the work, but We are chiefly concern
ed here with the Ben Davis flowers pol
linated with other varieties, and also
with Ben Davis pollen. The question 10:
Are Ben Davis flowers pollinated with
Ben Davis pollen a. likely to set fruit as
II pollinated with some other variety?
The following results are selected. all
of which show the same essential point:
OF As Ben Davis clusters pollipated with
Mcintosh pollen, SO, or Is per cert set
fruit. The total number OF apples OBJ
tanned was 81. OF Al Ben Davis clusters
pollinated with Opslsscent pollen, 20,
or 81 per cent, set fruit, giving total OF
"a apples. On the other hand, OF ia
Ben Davis clusters pollinated with Ben
Davis pollen only two set fruit, and
these only one apple each. This gives
. set 0s only Is per cent for Ben Davis
self -pollinated against 70 per cent where
Ben Davis is pollinated with Mcintosh
pollen. !.
The weather conditions at the time OF
blooming were far from ideal. Never
thslsss, the hand pollinsted blossoms
were subject to the same weather con-
ditions q those in the general orchard.
These results seem to indicate that II
Mcintosh pollen had been abundant In
our orchards 70 to Is per cent OF the
clusters would have set fruit. On tho
other hand general observation leads rs
to believe that In the big Ben Davis
orchards not much over two per cent OF
the clusters which bloomed have actual
ly set fruit this year. -.
These results represent the work OF
only q single year. II is quite probable
undsr certain conditions the Ben Davis
will show higher percent Of self-fertile
blossoms than obtained that year. in
1914 and 1915 fair crops were obtained.
These crops represented about half the
yield Of apples that the trees are capable
of bearing.
ft is planned to repeat these and
similar experiments in succeeding years
when weather conditions will be difier.
emit. It is also planned to use pollen
from other varieties. Apparently,
either the Mcintosh or Opalescent 10
good pollenizer for the Ben Davis. fhe
Opalsscent pollen used in this work was
secured Mt some distance from Highmoor
and on account of rain had to be kept
for several days before It was used ON
the blossoms. This may account Tor
the somewhat lower percentage OF fer
tile clusters.
The two Ben Davis orchards at High-
moor represent solid block OF nearly
1900 trees, all of this one variety. It
seems probable that one OF the reasons
vhy these orchards have not yielded ac-
oording to expectation 10 the fact that
this variety 10 partly self-sterile. is 10
planned to topwork q number OF the
trses In one of these orchards with
other varieties and see wbether this
will help In obtaining more satisfactory
The natural question 10 whether other
varieties are more or less sterile to their
own pollen. This will be taken mp IN
due time by the station. Unless Ben
Davis is an exception. there seems good
reason for fruit growers avoiding the
setting of large hocks OF any one variety.