272 TRANSACTIONS OF THE HORTICULTURAL 



they fruited we had nearly twenty kinds of Rhode Island Green- 

 ings; they all had very nearly the proper color and form, but they 

 ripened on different trees from August 1st to mid-winter. On some 

 trees they were verv large, on others quite small. Here in this we 

 have a case of what has generally been called, and thought, a change 

 or changes brought about by iniiuence of the stock. 



But I am confident this is not correct. The change was caused 

 sexually by pollen, for I had a small block of this variety on which 

 the fruit was all alike and ripened regularly in September. 1 might 

 go on with such examples among the apples to an almost unlimited 

 extent. But I will only give one more, which will prove that as yet 

 we do not know how to get the best results from the apples. T had 

 some rows of apple trees eighty rods long; through the middle a 

 row of one variety ran clear through, next to it was another variety 

 running half way through. The trees in the long row for several 

 years l)ore immense crops of perfect apples so far as they were beside 

 the short row; beyond that point they did not average more than 

 one-fourth as many apples, and these were much smaller and poorer. 

 Yet this same row had other varieties on each side of it all the way 

 through, and the trees, soil and exposure were much the same. 

 These facts seem to prove that, to have abundant crops of apples, we 

 should plant trees in the same way that we must the native plums 

 to get crops, namely, many varieties near together, all mixed up. 

 And then, when 1 add to the above last mentioned case that the trees 

 of the long row, next to the short row, were in every way the most 

 vigorous, healthiest and best, and remained so, notwithstanding their 

 heavy fruitage, we are forced to believe that plenty of acce{)ta])le, 

 satiating, potent pollen does have an effect on the vitality of the 

 whole tree. 



T have as yet noticed but one marked change in the fruit of any 

 of the native plums caused by pollenization. In that case two vari- 

 eties of large, dull yellow plums, of a distinct race, were changed in 

 color to a dark bright crimson, caused, I suppose, by the pollen of 

 a tree of another species of native plums of that color coming into 

 bloom near them. This, though, was the only change observable in 

 them. 



The Newman is larger, later by a week, darker colored, and has 

 its skin considerably thickened and rendered a little bitter if fully 

 pollenized by the Miner. 



From ail these facts we may conclude : 



(1.) That pollen is often pre-potent, and often has the power 

 to formulate the fruit completely or in part, and that it sometimes 

 effects the vitality of the whole tree for better or worse. We should 

 say in the line of its congeniality or non-congeniality. 



(2.) That we must not conclude that a fruit, especially a new 

 one, growing and fruiting in a certain location, surrounded by many 

 other varieties, will remain exactly the same — just as fruitful and 



