THE WIND AS A DISTRIBUTOR OF POLLEN. 



509 



culturist, Prof. Waug'h. The purpose of 

 one experiment was to demonstrate the 

 necessity of cross-fertiHzation in the poUen- 

 ation of apples. Clusters of buds were 

 covered with paper sacks, which were not 

 removed until the blooms had fallen. Out 

 of 2,586 blossoms covered all failed to set 

 fruit except three. Prof. Waugh regards 

 this as conclusive proof that a blossom must 

 be fertilized with the pollen from a blossom 

 of another variety before it will bear fruit. 



But were there not other things to pre- 

 vent the covered blossoms from setting- fruit 

 besides lack of pollen from another variety ? 

 Doubtless the partial exclusion of light, heat 

 and air by the paper bags had something to 

 do with it. Possibly more blossoms would 

 have been fertilized had the pollen from 

 other trees of the same variety been permit- 

 ted to touch them. No two trees are exactly 

 alike and cross-fertilization between two 

 trees of the same variety may produce better 

 results than where a single tree is compelled 

 to fertilize itself, as where the blossoms are 

 covered with paper sacks. 



These suggestions are offered as affording 

 a possible explanation of the result of the 

 experiment. Prof. Waugh would have us 

 believe that the experiment proves that self- 

 fertilization is practically impossible with 

 apple trees and therefore it is unsafe to plant 

 large blocks of one variety. The fact that 



large blocks of one variety are planted and 

 bear heavy crops of fruit proves that this is 

 a wrong conclusion. However we believe 

 it is better to mix varieties, though not 

 absolutely necessary. 



Another experiment was made for the 

 purpose of ascertaining to what extent pol- 

 len is carried from one tree to another by the 

 wind. Small slips of glass such as are used 

 in microscopes were coated with vaseline 

 and lampback and placed near the plum 

 trees during the blooming season and lefi in 

 position twenty-four hours. One slip was 

 placed north of the tree, the wind being in 

 the north, and did not catch any pollen. Of 

 course not. How could the wind carry pol- 

 len against itself? Another slip was placed 

 east of one tree and west of another and did 

 not catch any pollen. Wind should not be 

 expected to carry pollen at right angles to 

 its course. Another slip was placed south 

 of a tree in line with the wind and another 

 in the midst of several trees. One slip 

 caught seven pollen grains and pollen masses 

 and the other twenty-five. This certainly 

 proves that the wind is an important carrier 

 and distributer of pollen : yet Prof. Waugh 

 says that it proves that the wind is very 

 ineflficient and plays no consequential part 

 in the pollination of fruits. — O. H. Barnhill 

 in 20th Century Farmer. 



COMING EVENTS. 



Entomological Society of Ontario at London, 

 November 13 and 14 ; secretary, W. E. Saunders, 

 London. 



Ontario Fruit Growers' Association at Cobourg, 

 December 4 to 6 ; secretary, L. Wooiverton, 

 Grimsby. 



Ontario Agricultural and Experimental Union, 

 at Guelph, December 9 and 10 ; secretary, C. A. 

 Zavitz, Guelph. 



Ontario Provincial Winter Fair, at Guelph, 

 December 10 to 13 ; secretary, A. P. Westervelt, 

 Toronto. 



Western Ontario Poultry Show at Guelph, 

 December 10 to 13 ; secretary, A P. Westervelt.. 



Eastern Ontario Dairy Association at Whitby, 

 January 8 to 10 ; secretary, R. G. Murphy, Elgin. 



Western Ontario Association (place not fixed), 

 January 14 and 15; secretary, George Hately, 

 Brantford. 



Eastern Ontario Poultry Show, Ottawa, Feb. 

 12 ; secretary, A. P. Westervest, Toronto. 



Eastern Ontario Auction Sale of Pure-bred Stock 

 at Ottawa, February 12th ; secretary, A. P. 

 Westervelt, 



Maritime Winter Fair at Amherst, N.S., Dec. 

 17 to 19 ; secretary, W. W. Hubbard, Halifax, N.S. 



Ontario Beekeepers' Association at Woodstock, 

 December 3 to 5 ; secretary, W. Couse, Streetsville. 



