CHAPTER V 

 The Pollination of Fruit Blossoms 



THIS is a subject which attracts greater attention as the years 

 pass. There can be no doubt as to its importance. Unfortu- 

 nately experiments on a large scale have not yet been carried 

 out, so that it is not possible to give a complete list of self-fertile 

 and self-sterile varieties ; but the following notes, which were 

 contributed recently to Popular Gardening by an amateur fruit 

 grower, "J. Ursy," who has himself carried out the experiments, 

 will no doubt prove of assistance to the reader : 



For many years it has been known by a comparatively 

 few observers and experimenters that a large number (probably 

 the majority) of the varieties of Apples, Pears, Plums and Cherries 

 cannot produce fruit without the cross-pollination of their 

 respective blossoms with those of other varieties. When this 

 happens to be the case the variety under consideration is said 

 to be " self-sterile " the word sterile being used in its broad 

 sense of inability to produce fruit. If, on the other hand, the 

 blossom can produce fruit without the introduction of pollen 

 from another variety, it is termed " self -fertile." Such being 

 the state of affairs, it is quite possible to introduce into a planta- 

 tion a variety of, say, Apple which stands little or no chance 

 of ever fruiting ; such chance becoming less if there are but 

 few varieties in or near the enclosure. Instances have been 

 recorded of large, one-variety plantations which for many years 

 have failed to produce fruit notwithstanding favourable blossom- 

 ing and weather conditions. When, however, a small number 

 of other suitable varieties have been interplanted and blossomed, 

 the barren brought forth fruit. In this connection the follow- 

 ing extract from the catalogue of Messrs. Reasoner Bros., of 

 Florida, is of interest : " Plums seldom, if ever, bear well when 

 isolated ; the fact is the flowers need cross-pollination from 

 vigorous sorts. ..." * 



The matter of an affinity for self-sterile blossoms is not one 



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