AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



695 



port and Rochester, N. Y.; at Chestnut 

 Farm, Virginia, and at Washington, by 

 Mr. Waite ; and at Geneva, N. Y., by 

 Mr. D. G. Fairchild. 



Thirty-six varieties of pears were un- 

 der experiment, of which 22 were found 

 self-sterile. Under the head of insect 

 visitors we note the following: "The 

 common honey-bee is the most regular, 

 important and abundant visitor, and 

 probably does more good than any other 

 species." In this connection I have in 

 a recent letter from the distinguished 

 horticulturist. Prof. L. H. Bailey, of 

 Cornell University, the following : 



"Bees are much more effective agents 

 in pollination than wind, in our fruits, 

 and their absence is always serious. 

 Various other insects are capable of tak- 

 ing their place to a very limited extent." 



Mr. Waite finds that vigor of tree, 

 condition of weather at time of blossom, 

 and visits of insects, are all important 

 factors in securing a crop. The follow- 

 ing conclusions close this very valuable 

 Bulletin, which you may all procure by 

 preferring such request to the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture : 



1. Many of our common varieties of 

 pears require cross-pollination, being 

 partially or wholly incapable of setting 

 fruit when limited to their own pollen. 



2. Some varieties are capable of self- 

 pollination. 



3. Cross-pollination is not accom- 

 plished by applying pollen from another 

 tree of the same grafted variety, but is 

 secured by using pollen from a tree of 

 a distinct horticultural variety, that is, 

 which has grown from a distinct seed. 

 Pollen from another tree of the same 

 variety is no better than from the same 

 tree. The failure to fruit is due to the 

 sterility of the pollen, and not to me- 

 chanical causes. 



4. The irapotency of the pollen is not 

 due to any deficiency of its own, but to 

 the lack of afiinity between the pollen 

 and the ovules of the same variety. 



5. The pollen of two varieties may be 

 asolutely self-sterile, and at the same 

 time perfectly cross-fertile. 



6. The state of nutrition of the tree, 

 and its general environment affects its 

 ability to set fruit either with its own 

 pollen or that of another tree. 



7. Bees and other insects are the 

 agents for the transportation of pollen. 



8. Bad weather during flowering-time 

 has a decidedly injurious influence on 

 fruitage, by keeping away insect visitors 

 and also by affecting the fecundation of 

 the flowers ; conversely, fine weather 



favors cross-pollination and the setting 

 of fruit. 



9. Pears produced by self-pollination 

 are very uniform in shape ; they differ 

 from crosses not only in size and shape, 

 but also in some cases in time of ma- 

 turity and in flavor. 



10. Among the crosses the differences 

 were slight or variable, so tha-t their 

 variations are not to be ascribed with 

 certainty to differences in pollen. 



11. Self-fecundated pears are defi- 

 cient in seeds, usually having only abor- 

 tive seeds, while the crosses are well 

 supplied with sound seeds. 



12. Even with those varieties which 

 are capable of self-fecundation, the pol- 

 len of another variety is prepotent, and 

 unless the entrance of foreign pollen be 

 prevented, the greater number of fruits 

 will be affected by it, as shown by the 

 study of Buffum pears. 



13. The normal typical fruits, and in 

 most cases the largest and finest speci- 

 mens either of the self-sterile or self- 

 fertile sorts, are crosses. 



PKACTICAL CONCLUSIONS. 



1. Plant mixed orchards, or at least 

 avoid planting solid blocks of one va- 

 riety. It is not desirable to have more 

 than three or four rows of one variety 

 together, unless experience has shown it 

 to be perfectly self-fertile. 



2. Where large blocks of trees of one 

 variety which blossomed well have failed 

 to fruit for a series of years, without 

 any apparent reason, it is exceedingly 

 probable that the failure is due to lack 

 of cross-pollination. The remedy is to 

 graft in other varieties, and supply 

 foreign pollen. 



3. Be sure that there are sufficient 

 bees in the neighborhood, or within two 

 or three miles, to properly visit the blos- 

 soms. When feasible, endeavor to favor 

 insect visits to the blossoms by selecting 

 sheltered situations, or by planting 

 wind-breaks. 



As I have already stated, polllen may 

 be carried by wind or insects. I have 

 already quoted from Prof. Bailey to the 

 effect that in our fruits bees are much 

 more effective agents in pollination than 

 is the wind. This needs no argument, 

 as the bees must be far more certain 

 and effective factors in this important 

 work. The thick foliage would serve as 

 a screen to prevent pollination by the 

 wind, while it is no bar to insect visits. 



Among insects I have found this sea- 

 son, at Claremont, that the honey-bee is 

 present a hundred to one of any other 



