EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 231 



I had a good opportunity to observe the bees gathering pollen from 

 cherry blossoms. When the pollen was in the right condition, which oc- 

 cured in some cases before the stigmas were receptive, the bees were very 

 active in gathering it. While it was easily seen that the pollen was 

 stripped from the anthers by the mouth, it was very difficult to see the 

 method of transferring it to the legs for carrying. They did not gather 

 it continuously but cropped and re-cropped the stigmas several times, 

 gathering from side to side instead of continuing around the circle, and 

 they invariably took all the pollen the blossom contained. Their move- 

 ments were remarkably quick, usually occupying less time upon one 

 blossom than it would take to read one line of this paragraph. In their 

 work upon the plum and apple blossoms they did not take all the pollen 

 as from the cherries, the reason of which, I suppose, was because it was 

 not all ripe enough for their purpose. Whatever the climatic conditions 

 necessary to pollenizing may be, the bees certainly perform an important 

 part. 



Nearly all native plums produce an abundance of pollen, but some vari- 

 eties are more or less deficient in stigmas every year, and some years are 

 entirely deficient. This habit is, I believe, peculiar to some varieties, not 

 only when indigenous or growing wild, but when transferred to other 

 localities the habit is intensified, so as to produce imperfect stigmas or, 

 perhaps, none at all. While this habit will account for the non-bearing of 

 some kinds, whether isolated or in groups, and whether well cultivated or 

 otherwise, it does not afford a reason why they are without stigmas nor 

 suggest a method by which they may be produced. 



From the fact that the trees do not all blossom at the same time or 

 •mature their pollen at the same time, it is well known that by planting 

 different kinds near together they are more apt to be fruitful; hence, it 

 has been supposed that this'would be sufficient in all cases to secure 

 fruitfulness. I have a group of trees that blossom profusely every year 

 that has never produced any fruit; growing within a few rods, another 

 group that has borne nearly every year for 40 years. The blossoms of the 

 first named group bear no stigmas, many of the blossoms having not even 

 the rudiments of one. But I was greatly surprised this year to find no 

 stigmas in the blossoms of some kinds that have borne fruit for several 

 years in succession -till this year, from which I conclude that there is a 

 wide field in this direction for experiment and investigation. 



NEW ULM STATION. 



C. W. H. HEIDEMAN, SUPT. 



t 



Samuel B. Green, Esq., Siipt. Central Experiment Station. 



Dear Sir: I hand you herewith my third annual report as superin- 

 tendent of station for experiment with plums and native fruits. 



Plums,— Generally speaking, the plum crop was a complete failure; the 

 only fruit obtained was by hand fertilizing and protecting the blossoms. 

 In this manner we secured first fruits of the following: Early Eed 

 Moldovka, Hungarian, White Nicholas, Russian Bohemian Nos. 5 and 

 6. Only a few specimens were secured and they were small. Abundance 

 Japan is very distinct in foliage, a very strong grower but not quite 



