CROSS-POLLIXATION. 247 



"In the early seventies of the last century Mr. D. B. Wier of Lacon, 

 Illinois, calied the attention of his fellow fruit growers to the fact that: 



"PLUMS OF SEVERAL VARIETIES 



blooming at the same period produced better crops when planted in the 

 immediate vicinity of each other and called attention to the fact that when 

 planted separately a fruit crop was harvested only when the conditions 

 were extremely favorable. These statements were productive of con- 

 siderable discussion and it was the conclusion that the best results v/ith 

 plums were obtained by mixed planting of varieties. 



"WITH STRAWBERRIES, ALSO 



the fact was early noted, that some varieties were self-fertile, others 

 partly self-pollenizing, while other varieties were self-sterile, requiring 

 the planting of a staminate variety with them if any result in the way of 

 fruit was to be obtained. You are familiar with these facts and it is un- 

 necessary to go further into detail regarding them. I believe it is gen- 

 erally conceded now in strawberry culture that the best crop results are 

 obtained by mixed planting, that is by planting so as to alternate in 

 separate rows strong pollenizers with those not so strong in this respect 

 although considered self-fertile, and as also good in furnishing pollen 

 for pistillate sorts. 



"In a general way the apple is supposed to be self-fertile. It has 

 been known among experts that certain varieties were not as strong in 

 pollen as certain other varieties, but until recently it has not been 

 thought necessary to take into consideration in the planting of apples 

 orchards that apple trees would be more productive where cross-pollina- 

 tion is provided for, 



"As many as twenty years ago, and perhaps longer ago than that, 

 some planters alternately planted an upright grower with a spreading top, 

 either alternating in the row or in separate rows, but this was for econ- 

 omy of room leather than for polleuizmg purposes. 



"COMMERCIAL ORCHARDS. 



"Some eighteen or twenty years ago the planting of commercial 

 apple orchards in Illinois and Missouri had a great boom. For s'everal 

 years prior to that time, small farm orchards in those sections consisting 

 of a number of varieties as such orchards have borne enormous crops 

 that paid the owners fabulous sums of money. The Ben Davis, then a 

 new variety for that section, proved to be so well adapted to that section 

 that it outbore and outshone all the others. The result was that hun- 

 dreds of acres in Southern Illinois and Missouri were planted to apples 

 and of these 75 per cent were Ben Davis. 



"Not having cross-pollination of varieties in mind and in reality know- 

 ing nothing of such things, the greater number of these orchards were 

 planted in solid blocks, the varieties in their order of importance ranking 



