24 



INJURIOUS EFFECTS OF PREMATURE POLLINATION. 



the fact that the resulting fruits of trees of seedless varieties contained 

 good seed which germinated almost as well as seeds of fruits from the 

 same tree the flowers of which were pollinated at the normal time. 

 Indeed, the seeds resulting from these premature pollinations germi- 

 nated to a greater per cent than seeds taken at random from fruits of 

 a seedy orange. 



One might expect the seedlings resulting from the pollination of 

 such immature pistils to show feebleness, but such is not the case. 

 They are now 6 inches tall and growing with as much vig-or as any in 

 the seed bed. They also show polyembryonic tendencies to as great 

 a degree as the other seedlings, having from one to as many as four 

 separate plants growing from a single seed. 



Seven fruits resulting from prematurely pollinated flowers of a 

 Melitensis navel were compared with six from the same tree which 

 resulted from flowers emasculated nine days before opening and hand 

 pollinated when the pistils were fully mature. The following- are the 



averages: 



The last four experiments were for the purpose of ascertaining 

 whether seedy oranges are disposed to set fruit without pollination, 

 as is customary with navel oranges. The 20 buds that were emascu- 

 lated and bagged without pollination, as well as 20 that were emas- 

 culated and had their stigmas irritated by the application of magnesium 

 sulphate, alike failed to set any fruits. 



