36 ON THE CULTURE 



let only one grow on a plant at a time. Keep 

 the male blossoms rubbed off when young, to 

 prevent their weakening the plants ; the best 

 method of doing which is with a small pointed 

 stick. 



As soon as the plants begin to show fruit, leave 

 a few male blossoms to set the fruit with. If this 

 be not attended to in the early part of the 

 season* the fruit will not swell off, as it is the 

 female blossom alone that bears it, and if these 

 be not impregnated with the male they will prove 

 unfruitful. The female flower may easily be dis- 

 tinguished from the male, by the appearance of 

 the fruit at the bottom of the blossom which the 

 other does not possess. 



When the female flower is in full bloom, take 

 a male blossom which is in full bloom also, and 



* There is no necessity for setting the fruit beyond the 

 latter end of May, as by that time the bees will find their 

 way to the frames, and prove equally effective. 



