POLLINA TION IN ORCHARDS. 



367 



crosses which were made in i8gg with this 

 particular point in view, not one showed any 

 chang-e which could be positively attributed 

 to the influence of pollen. Even the concen- 

 trated sweetness of Seckel made no impres- 

 sion on the poor quality of KieflFer ; nor 

 were there any constant differences in color, 

 shape or season of ripening- in any of the 

 other crosses. Nearly everybody who has 

 crossed varieties of orchard fruits has had a 

 similar experience. 



Most of the evidence supporting- the theory 

 that there is an immediate influence of pollen 



sometimes exerted. But it is certainly much 

 less frequent than is commonly supposed. 



The Distribution of the Pollinizers. 



Having- selected a pollinizer with reference 

 to simultaneous blooming- and mutual affinity, 

 the fruit-g-rower now wishes to know how 

 many trees will be necessary to pollinate 

 the self-sterile variety. There are three 

 things to be considered here : The ability 

 of the pollinizer to produce pollen, its market 

 value and the class of fruit to which the self- 

 sterile variety belong-s. 



Fig. 1903 — Abundance. From Abundance Pollen Above, From Grand Duke 

 Pollen Below. Some Benefit From Cross-Pollination. 



in the crosses of fruits comes from observa- Varieties diff"er in the amount of pollen 

 tion ; most of the evidence against it comes which they produce, and the pollen produc- 

 from experiment. The observer, however tion of the same variety is also greatly 

 careful, is likely to jump at conclusions ; the modified by diff'erences in locality and sea- 

 experimenter tries to give due weight to son. Other things being equal, the variety 

 every influence which might bear on the which produces pollen freely could be used 

 problem. Since many observers and a few more sparingly in a block of self-sterile 

 experimenters have found what seems to be trees than one of scanty pollen production, 

 an immediate influence of pollen on the fruit, Little comparative observation has been 

 we cannot doubt but that this influence is made on this point as yet ; but as a matter 



