150 CITRUS FRUITS AND THEIR CULTURE. 



f erring the pollen from the anther to the stigma, is to be 

 done, the pollen to be used should be collected and prepared 

 some time before. It has generally been observed that the 

 anthers of citrus flowers open and expose their pollen very 

 shortly or within a few hours after the flowers open. In 

 some cases the anthers are ripe as soon as they are exposed, 

 by the separation of the petals enclosing them. Hence in 

 collecting pollen, one may be quite certain of securing ma- 

 ture pollen from flowers which are just on the point of 

 opening. It will not do to take pollen from open flowers, 

 for some insect may have made a visit to them and depos- 

 ited foreign pollen in some part of the 

 flower. This pollen might unwittingly be 

 gathered and used by the operator. Gather 

 the flowers in paper sacks and afterwards 

 spread them out in a thin layer on a 

 j smooth sheet of paper in a warm dry 

 place, where the air is still. In two or 

 three days the flowers will dry and shrivel ; 

 nil the anthers will open and the pollen 

 will be liberated. Then carefully gather 



Fig. 36. Sack ready,, 



for covering poin- the whole mass and replace it in the sacks. 



nated flowers. T ^ , 



li,acn one should be labeled. For use in 

 the field, the dried flowers and pollen together should be 

 placed in wide-mouthed, loosely-stopped phials. These 

 should be labeled with the name of the variety of pollen 

 and the date of collection. (Plate XII.) 



A sufficient number of bags should be provided with 

 which to cover the flowers to prevent insects from visit- 

 ing them. For this purpose we have found two-pound 

 manilla bags, such as grocers use, the most convenient. 

 These should be prepared by punching a hole through the 

 two edges while the sacks are still flat. In the hole in 



