Joint Convention. 193 



In answer to the third question, I would say that the flowers 

 that opened first were to all appearance as perfect as those of 

 the same varieties coming later. The reason of their failure to 

 set was not due to imperfection, but to other causes which will 

 be given further on. There is a great difference in the size, form 

 and color of the petals or flower leaves of the different varieties. 

 Some are larger and some mnch smaller than others. Also the 

 pistils are longer, thicker and broader in some than in others. 

 In a few instances there were a few of these pistils that were 

 distorted or doubled up, apparently by crowding their way up 

 through the petals. All the varieties examined seem to have 

 plenty of stamens, and in fact to be perfect flowers, but I should 

 judge that the size and form of the pistils had some influence 

 on the impregnation, as where they were longer and straight 

 they came up through the petals first and seemed to have more 

 perfect stigmas also, and to be ready to receive the pollen as soon 

 as it commenced to fall. To all appearance there is pollen enough 

 in each flower to fertilize fifty or a hundred times as many pis- 

 tils as there are in each cluster of flowers. The only way to get a 

 definite answer to this question, and to determine fully whether 

 a variety has perfect flowers, is to enclose a cluster of flowers in 

 a glass bulb or paper bag until all the flowers are open and the 

 petals have dropped off, then remove the covering and watch it. 

 If the fruit sets, perfects itself, and the seeds are full and perfect, 

 then you can be sure that the flowers of that variety are perfect, 

 but if the little apples drop off", while those on the balance of 

 the tree grow and ripen, it would prove that the stamen or pis- 

 tils were imperfect. A single spur or cluster of flowers on each 

 variety would be sufficient to determine this question. Seeds 

 from fruit thus covered, if the variety is perfect, would give 

 fruit like the tree from which they came. 



In answer to the fourth question I would say, ascertain what 

 varieties are in full bloom at the same time when similarly situ- 

 ated, and plant them together. 



In regard to the fifth question, we find that some varieties 

 have short pistils, and hollow or curved petals, which tend to shield 

 the embryo, protecting it from the cold winds. Fourth of July, 



13 — HOBT. 



