STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 385 



SO far I have found uo pollen that will render it fully fruitful except 

 that of the Miner. It is partially fruitful with nearly all members of 

 the Almond family. Many trees of it, old enough to bear fruit for the 

 past ten to twenty years, entirely isolated from other members of the 

 Almond family, have never produced fruit. 



FERTILIZATION- 



That we will eventually gain new and valuable hybrids, between 

 nearly all the species of the Almond family I have no doubt. In fact, 

 we have many such now, these peculiarities of the Wild Goose and 

 other varieties are given here to prevent mistakes, for we might cast 

 aside a most valuable thing that seemed entirely barren, but which if 

 given a consort with acceptable pollen might be of the greatest value, 

 and an important point which we must bear in mind when sending 

 out any new plums we may gain from seed, or find in the woods, is 

 this. I kaow that these plums (and many other fruits also) are some- 

 times changed radically, often in all their characteristics, by the pol- 

 len their flowers are fertilized with. That is to say: a plum that is 

 not fertile with its own pollen, may give very choice fruit with the 

 pollen of one variety and very poor with that of another. So 

 plainly has this been shown on my place that I now fear to send out 

 any of my new plums, until I have fruited them in a different envi- 

 ronment. 



And this fact explains why so many native plums that have been 

 sent out, went up like a rocket in glory for a time, but eventually 

 came down like a stick. They either have no fruit or very poor fruit 

 when their location was changed. It is probable that a smile of in- 

 credulity may be spreading over the faces of this audience at this 

 remark, but my friends I am giving you facts not fiction. Pollen has 

 a powerful influence over the fruit and all its appurtenances at times, 

 and I am confident that it has over the whole vitality of the tree or 

 plant in some cases. You are not astonished at your corn mixing in 

 the grain, when one very distinct variety is fertilized by the pollen 

 of an other, nor with the members of the gourd family (CucurUtaeea) 

 especially the watermelons. It is even claimed, and correctly I think, 

 that two varieties of potatoes will have their tubers changed by pollen 

 when grown side by side; such instances are, of course, the exception 

 instead of the rule. Many other plants show such effects of pollen. 



I have often seen and carefully studied complete changes in apples 

 from this cause. In fact poUenization, hybridism, and the crossing of 



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