September, ipip 



BETTER FRUIT 



Page 



Specific Results in],Pollinating the Bartlett Pear 



By Warren P. Tufts, Professor of Pomology, Agricultural Experiment Station, University of California 



THERE is a growing interest on the ing the seasons of 1916, 1917 and 1918 of most interest to the Bartlett pear 

 part of pear growers in California designed to test the accuracy of the orchardists or those -Who intend to 

 and elsewhere in the Pacific North- observations enumerated above. plant this variety of pears. This result 

 west concerning the question Organization of the Work. is as follows: ^ ^, ^ ^^ ^ 

 the Bartlett, their chief variety, requires The orchard of Mr. P. M. Beaser, of 

 or is benelited by cross-pollination. The methods employed for investi- Chicago Park, Nevada County, consists 

 The fact that Bartlett trees, planted gatmg the various problems were those of one thousand Bartlett pear trees, no 

 without any regard to cross-pollina- commonly in use in cross-pollination provision having been made for cross- 

 tion, have yielded profitable crops, has experiments. Briefly stated, this part pollination. These trees are perhaps 

 led some to believe that the variety is of 'he work consisted in the application twenty-five years old. There is located 

 self-fertile. On the other hand, these by hand of the pollen desired, having on the Loma Rica Ranch, some eight 

 same growers have noticed when they fl''sl removed the tlowers' own pollen- „ji]es awav, a small block of old Bart- 

 have a stray tree of some other varietv producing organs (the stamens). The i^tt pear trees of about the same age 

 in their orchard that the surrounding introduction of foreign pollen through and vigor as those on the Beaser place. 

 Bartletts are more abundantly fruited the agency of wind and insects was pre- Manv of these trees have, however, dur- 

 than the remainder of the orchard, vented by covering the hand-pollinated ing the past six or eight years, been 

 This seems to indicate that the Bartlett, blossoms with paper sacks. Accurate top-worked to other varieties. With 

 under valley conditions, is greatly bene- counts of the flowers were made and the exception of the presence of polli- 

 fited bv cross-pollination. In the Sierra recorded. Later in the season the sacks nating varieties at Loma Rica the two 

 foothills thoughtful and observant were removed. The fruits resulting orchards just described are in all 

 growers have felt sure that the Bartlett, •"•'om these artificial pollinations were respects comparable. Both orchards 

 under their conditions, is always self- counted and the proper record made bloomed profusely, 

 sterile to a degree renderina cross- after the first and second crops and 



sunie, lo a iie„iee icnotiing cioss harvest COMPARISON OF YIELD ON BARTLETT 



pollination imperative. again ai narvesi. trees with and without polli- 



Although practically all writers agree The Results. nating varieties, i918. 



in advising the infernlantine of other -ri i. «■ n .u • . • (Loma Rica Ranch, Grass Valley) 



111 auMbui-, iiie iiiicipiamiiig oi uuiei -pj^g results of all the experiments in ,.,.,. „„ii,,,„„„„ „„,,>/,>,. 



varieties to pollinate the Bartlett, even connection with this work were inter- No. of blossoms counted . 3007 



in the valley locations in California, esting and showed conclusively the No. of fruits set May 17 449 



nevertheless the bulk of the acreage benefits of cross-pollination. Eliminat- Ave."g"^^'eVd per tr^e in packed boi;;:! 



planted to Bartletts in the state contains ing some of the more technical phases (Beaser Ranch, Chicago Park) 



no other variety. The writer outlined of the work, however, the result of an WUhoui poiiinaiingi>arieiies: 



, . 1 1 • .1 . . , . 1 , , ,. . No. of blossoms counted 31/0 



and pertormed certain experiments dur- experiment designed to show from the no. of fruits set May 17 192 



average yield of P"' «"* set 6.0 



two orchards Average yield per tree in packed boxes 77 



what should be The figures show that the trees pro- 

 expected from vided with cross-pollination produced 

 cross-polleniza- a crop almost three times as great as 

 tion under nor- that produced by the trees which did 

 mal conditions not receive cross-pollination. It should 



will probably be Continued on page 21. 



Ten Rartlell prars set from twenty-flve blossoms pollinated with 



Winter Nells pollen. A typical cluster resulting from 



crossing linrtlett with Wiiiler Nells. 



Two Bartlett pears set from eight blossoms pollinated with 



Bartlett pollen. A typical cluster of this variety 



when self-poll iilatc<l. 



