PO LLINA TION . 



29; 



pollen stimulates the development of the fruit-walls, as well as 



fertilizes the ovules, and a greater amount of pollen than is 



sufficient to produce the seeds them- 

 selves may therefore exert an important 



influence. Sometimes it is not neces- 

 sary to use an instrument to transfer 



the pollen. If the pollen is copious 



and adheres to the anther after it is 



discharged, the anther may be simply 



rubbed over the stigma.. An anther 



will ordinarily contain sufficient pollen 



to fertilize several stigmas. The whole 



surface of the stigma should be covered 



until it is colored with the pollen. 



Sometimes it will be found advisable to 



cut off the corolla from large flowers, 



if it was not done when the flower was 



emasculated, to facilitate the labor of 



applying pollen. The short stigmas of 



squashes, for instance, can be reached 



more easily if the corolla is removed, 



as in Fig. 104. 



In order to prevent the mixing of pollen, the flowers from 



which it is to be derived should be covered while in the bud, the 



same as the flowers designed as the pistillate parents. Other- 

 wise foreign pollen 

 may be deposited 

 upon the anthers by 

 insects or winds. 



As soon as the pol- 

 len is applied to the 

 stigma, the flower 

 should be tied up again 

 the same as before. 



Fig. 102. Squash flower tied up. The ba should re ' 



main three or four 



days or a week, until the stigma has died and all danger of 



Fig. 101. Bag. 



