The Tide of Immigration 
number of the desirable immigrants 
than any other method of restriction. 
It goes to the root of the evils, which 
are largely economic.” 
TEST A MERE RESTRICTION 
test is not aimed 
primarily at illiteracy. It is not aimed 
at the immigrant as such. Under 
favorable conditions the illiteracy of 
the immigrant is sooner or later reme- 
died. It is not directed against any 
particular race or against aliens from 
any particular country. It is directed 
primarily against the volume of immi- 
gration, and is justified in the fact that 
the conspicuous character of large 
numbers of immigrants is their ina- 
bility to read and write. And the 
literacy test is aimed at the quantity 
of immigration primarily, and solely 
for the purpose of bringing it within a 
reasonable degree of our ability to 
absorb and assimilate its elements.” 
In spite of its three defeats, it seems 
likely that the literacy test as a restric- 
“The literacy 
545 
tion of immigration will again be passed 
by Congress this winter, that it will 
again be vetoed by President Wilson, 
and that another attempt will be made 
to pass it over the President’s veto. 
This reopening of the question offers 
an opportunity of which eugenicists 
should take advantage. Whatever their 
views as to the best method of restric- 
tion may be, they should attempt to get 
more widespread a realization of the 
eugenic implications of excessive immi- 
gration, not only in the bad breeding 
which results from the admission of a 
certain number of physical and men- 
tal undesirables; but indirectly from 
the economic results. If they believe 
that excessive immigration of unskilled 
labor is partly responsible for the condi- 
tions which make it hard for a larger 
part of the population to have any, or 
enough, children, they should keep this 
fact to the front. Every such effort 
will aid to bring nearer the social and 
economic readjustments which a policy 
of national eugenics requires. 
Pollination Studies on California Fruits 
Plum and prune pollination investiga- 
tions have been carried on during the 
past three years by Hendrickson at the 
California State Agricultural Experi- 
ment Station. Observations in 1915 on 
50,000 plum and prune blossoms and 
on 87,000 during 1916 show definitely 
that all varieties of the Japanese group 
of plums (P. triflora) are self-sterile 
with the possible exception of Climax. 
The varieties of this group seem to 
cross-pollinate readily. Of the Euro- 
pean varieties of plums (P. domestica), 
Tragedy and Clyman show distinct 
evidences of self-sterility. French and 
Sugar prunes seem to be self-sterile to 
some extent. Robe de Sergeant and 
Imperial prunes are distinctly self-sterile. 
Imperial, French, and Sugar prunes 
seem to cross-pollinate satisfactorily. 
An important observation during 
the season of 1916 has been the notice- 
able lack of pollinating agencies in some 
prune orchards. The normal set of 
French prunes was about 4% as com- 
pared with 19% on a tree which was 
covered with a mosquito net tent under 
which the bees were confined. 
During 1916 observations on almonds 
by Tufts show that there is a distinct 
pollination problem with this fruit. 
Thirteen varieties, including practically 
all grown on a commercial scale in 
California, proved to be wholly self- 
sterile under conditions existing at the 
university farm. Of still greater im- 
portance is the fact that the Nonpareil 
and I. X. L., two of the leading varieties, 
were found to be intersterile as well as 
self-sterile. Ne Plus Ultra was found 
to be very satisfactory as an inter- 
pollinizer with both I. X. L. and 
Nonpareil. 
Observations during 1916 by Tufts on 
cherries show that the leading com- 
mercial varieties grown in the State, 
including Napoleon (Royal Ann), Lam- 
bert, Bing, Black Tartarian and Black 
Republican, are self-sterile. There is 
also distinct evidence of intersterility 
between several varieties, for example, 
Bing and Napoleon. The work has 
not yet gone far enough to determine 
the best pollinizers for cherries in this 
State.—Annual Report of Director. 
