6 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [lo Jan., 1911. 



interfered with the pollen action ; it is generally considered that the effect 

 of the rain is to wash away the pollen, so that it could not reach the 

 stigma of the flower. This theory of rain washing the pollen away 

 requires further evidence, before it can be accepted as final, as the rain 

 would greatly disturb and knock about the flowers, f'.nd there should be 

 a better chance of the pollen reaching the stigma than in still weather. 

 Further, it is almost certain that the pollen, becoming excessively moistened 

 with the rain, would be damaged or rendered inoperative, as it is known 

 that wet or moist conditions will cause the pollen grain to germinate and 

 issue its pollen tube. Thus, if the pollen grains germinate prematurely, 

 it must follow that, even if these grains reach the stigma, they will have 

 lost any fertilizing power they may previously have had. The second 

 reason for a light .setting of bloom in wet weather is the fact that moths, 

 bees, wasps, and other insects are unable to carry out their regular visits 

 to the flowers under rainy conditions. 



Relation of Insects to the Work of Cross-Pollination. 



There can be no doubt that insects play a most important part in the 

 life of plants and flowers. Moths and wasps, bees, and many other 

 insects, all assist in carrying the pollen from flower to flower ; but of all 

 insects for this purpose, the bee is assuredly the most useful. The first 

 object the bee has in visiting a blossom is to collect or feed on the flower 

 honey or nectar ; which is always lower in the flower than the pistil or 

 stamens. In passing through the flower the pollen grains attach them- 

 selves to the numerous hairs on the body of the bee, and as the insect 

 flies from flower to flower, it is easy to conceive that some pollen grains 

 will be transferred, as the bee brushes against the stigma. The same 

 result occurs when the bee is gathering the pollen ; and thus every flower 

 that the bee visits must be pollinated from other blooms. The usefulness 

 and the importance of this work of the bee can hardly be over-estimated ; 

 and successful orchard practice will never result, until the work of the 

 bee is recognised practically by the establishment of bee colonies in every 

 orchard district. A very valuable article on the subject of " Bees and 

 Fruit Fertilization," by Mr. R. Beuhne. was published in the Journal 

 for November, 1909, and it should be read in conjunction with this 

 article. 



Darwin's Laws. 

 In concluding his remarkable experiments on this subject, the great 

 naturalist Darwin laid down various laws of nature, which are accepted 

 and recognised as final. His results were, first, that self-fertilization 

 tends to weaken the resultant offspring ; second, that crossing between 

 different plants of the same variety, grown under different conditions, 

 or in different places, gives better results than crossing between plants 

 grown in the same place or under similar conditions ; and third, that, as 

 a general rule, flowers are constructed to favour cross- fertilization. And 

 his renowned declaration is that " Nature abhors perpetual self- 

 fertilization." 



Full Period of Bloom. 

 It is so far seen, that, to gain success in cross-fertilization, means suc- 

 cessful, or at least improved fruit crops. Thus, in pears, a grower must 

 grow more than one variety of pear ; and the question then arises as to 

 the times of blooming of the different pear trees. For it would be fatal 



