45 



under unusually abnormal conditions other clusters were 

 enclosed in bags of cheese cloth and still others in bags made 

 of coarse mosquito netting. These last two would permit 

 of free circulation of air and would not therefore place the 

 enclosed flowers under unnatural conditions. It might be 

 stated here that the results obtained from the use of the 

 three types of bags were essentially the same, at least no 

 marked difference was noted. 



Of the more important varieties tested it was found that 

 Angouleme, Buffum and Flemish Beauty were reasonably 

 self-f ertile ; Bartlett, Bosc and Seckel partially self -fertile, 

 the trees tested varying from self -sterile to 4.4% self -sterile, 

 while Anjou, Clairgeau, Clapp's Favorite, Keiffer, Lawrence 

 and Sheldon were self-sterile or practically so as none of 

 these showed greater degree of self -fertility than 0.4%. It 

 was noticed in these tests that trees of the same variety 

 showed quite a wide range in their ability to self-fertilize. 

 Bartlett for example showed a range of 0.% to 4.4%. This 

 individual variation is no doubt due in a large measure to 

 the vitality and vigor of the tree. While these results are 

 not to be taken as final nor as applicable to all seasons and 

 localities the very fact that of all the varieties tested more* 

 than half are practically self-sterile under the conditions, 

 imposed is rather significant. 



The above results obtained in New York are corrobor- 

 ated by observation and experiment in the old Dominion 

 orchard at Chestnut Farm, Virginia. This old orchard 

 originally consisted of some 22,000 standard Bartlett pear 

 trees and were at the time of this experiment 1892, eighteeri 

 years old. This orchard had never borne a full crop. The 

 largest crop was an average of three pecks per tree. Blight, , 

 root rot and other causes had removed about one sixth of 

 the original planting. These missing trees, had in the earlier 

 history of the orchard been replaced. By mistake, in re- 

 planting, two Clapp's Favorite and a Buffum had been set 

 among the Bartletts. Also near by were a few old trees, 

 the remnants of a former variety pear orchard which had 

 been very productive and because of this the larger planting 

 had been made. 



The Bartlett trees near the old variety orchard and those 

 near the two Clapps and Buffum always bore good crops 



