FRUIT-BLOSSOMS. 



227 



FRUIT-BLOSSOMS. 



APPLE-TREES IN BL003I— A. I. ROOT S ORCHARD. 



tlie uncovered lilossoms set their fruit. TJie straw- 

 berries were co%^erecl May 18th, and uncovered June 

 16th. The number of blossoms in each experiment 

 varied from 60 in the least to 313 in the greatest. In 

 these cases, a box covered with cheese-cloth sur- 

 rounded the plants. The plants were examined June 

 2d. Eleven per cent of the covered blossoms, and 

 17 per cent of the uncovered had developed. To show 

 the details, in one case 60 blossoms were considered, 

 9 of which in the covered lot, and 27 in the uncovered, 

 had developed. That is, three times as many flowers 

 had set in the uncovered as in the covered. In an- 

 other case of 212 blossoms, the fruit numbered 80 

 and 104. In a case of 123 blossoms, the number of 

 fruit was 20 and 36. * * * * 



Our experiments with clovers were tried on both 



the white and alslke. While the uncovered heads 



• were full of seeds, the covered ones were entirely 



seedless. This fully explains the common experience 



of farmcis with the.se plants. 



In the symposium referred to at the out- 

 set, the first article of the series was from 

 J. C. Gilliland, who, in the summer of 1893, 

 ill a large field of medium red clover that 

 came within 30 feet of his door, covered 

 some blo.ssoms with netting, and around 

 others not covered he tied a small thread. 

 During the following August he gathered 

 seed from the covered blossom, and also 

 some from the plants not covered ; and by 

 careful counting he found that the latter 



gave 21 per cent more seed. His experiments 

 were repeated again, with like results. As 

 bumble-bees visited the field very profusely 

 that year, it seems pretty evident that the 

 larger amount of seed came as a result of 

 cross-fertilization by bees. But this only 

 shows what bumble-bees may do. When it 

 comes to the ordinary honey-bees, the per 

 cent in favor of uncovered blossoms as 

 against the covered is very much laiger. 

 Witness, for instance, the extract from Prof. 

 Cook's article just given. 



Mr. J. F. Mclntyre, a bee-keeper, and a 

 delegate at the California State Fruit- 

 growers' Association for 1893, reports that : 



A gentleman stated that he had a friend in this 

 State who started into fruit-gro'wing several years 

 ago, locating 35 miles from any fruit-growing sec- 

 tion, or where any bees were located. The first year 

 that liis trees blossomed, and in expectancy of at least 

 some returns from his orchard, what should be the 

 result but complete failure ! He was advised to pro- 

 cure some bees to aid in the fertilization of the 

 blossoms. He did so, and since then his orchard has 

 been productive. 



C. J. Berry, one whose fruit-orchard con- 

 tains 440 acres, and who is Horticultural 

 Commissioner for Tulare Co., Cal., an inland 



