302 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



ovule or plant egg without the presence of this pollen thread. We 

 thus see that no fecundation, or in other words no pollination, is the 

 equivalent of no seeding, usually no fruitfulness. 



Many plants are dioecious ; that is. each flower is either male or 

 lemale, or both. Of such are the oak, the walnut and some varieties 

 of strawberries. In some cases, as the pepper tree, the sexes are on 

 different trees or plants. In all such cases of course even though a 

 ilower is fertile to the pollen of its own species there must be marriage 

 priests, as Darwin styled the bees, to carry the pollen from flower to 

 flower or from tree to tree. In rare cases, as in some varieties of 

 strawberries, all the plants are pistillate. Here pollen must be brought 

 to them from other staminate plants. 



In many monoecious plants where the flowers are perfect with both 

 stamens and pistil in the same flower the flowers are infertile, or will 

 fail to fruit, or at least to produce seed unless cross-pollinated. We 

 say such flowers are self-sterile, or sterile to their own pollen. Our 

 clovers and many, probably most, of our fruits are of this class. Most 

 irregular flowers are so formed as to re(iuire cross-pollination. The 

 conformation of the flowers prohibits self-pollination and insures 

 cross-pollination through the visits of nectar-loving insects. Often 

 plants like the Bartlett pear are self-sterile in one locality and fertile 

 to their own pollen in another. I have reason to believe also that 

 plants may at one time he self-fertile and the same' plants at another 

 time be self-sterile. It is also interesting to note that the pollen of 

 some varieties is more potent than others of the same species. Thus 

 among cherries the Black Republican, Black Tartarian and seedlings 

 are found in seme sections at least to be strong pollinizers. The same 

 may be said of Drake's seedling among almonds. The experiments of 

 the Oregon Station show that the Bing, Lambert and Napoleon (Royal 

 Ann) are intersterile. Of course in our planting it would be most 

 convenient to set varieties in solid blocks, but it would not be wise or 

 scientific. We should always mix varieties, being careful to select 

 varieties that bloom at the same time, also to secure those that are 

 iaterfertile. Suppose the Bing or the Lambert or the Napoleon is 

 thought to be the most profita])le variety, then a few sour cherries, or 

 Black Tartarian, or other efficient pollinizers, should be sparingly inter- 

 mingled with the more desirable varieties. The same is true of our 

 almonds. If we wish the Ne Plus Ultra and the IXL, we may well mix 

 in liberally here as the Drake's seedling is a very desirable variety for 

 it has been found to be an efficient poUinizer. Very likely locality is 

 important in this matter, and it is wise in planting to note what 

 ^ arieties are desirable for market and at the same time are interfertile 

 each with the other in each locality. At present we are not sufficiently 

 informed as to the potency of pollen from the best varieties of our 

 fruit, but we know enough to make us sure that it is wise in all casas 

 to mix varieties, and it may be wise in some cases to plant sparingly 

 of undesirable varieties to make sure that we provide for efficient 

 l)ollination. 



Bees as "Marriage Priests." 



From w^liat we have seen above we note that efficient agents in this 

 work of pollination miLst be good flyers, nuist desire and seek often the 

 nectar of flowers and must be very numerous, as the flowers to be 



