APPLES 



415 



theory may be applied to the partial 

 fecundation of the ovules by pollen in- 

 jured in this manner as that injured by 

 wet and cold. 



Pollen grains may be entirely washed 

 away during extremely wet weather or 

 blown away during dry periods. High 

 winds may waste the greater amount of 

 pollen and may, during very hot weather, 

 when the pistil is in a receptive condi- 

 tion, so entirely dry up the fluids se- 

 creted by the stigma as to make germi- 

 nation impossible or even blow away 

 what pollen is held by the stigma by 

 reason of its roughened surface. Dust 

 storms during the time when the pistil 

 Is receptive may make pollination im- 

 possible from the fact that the papillose 

 stigma catches dust particles which ab- 

 sorb the juices there secreted and thus 

 covers the stigma with a coating of very 

 fine particles of dust firmly cemented to- 

 gether by this sticky fluid. 



Several years ago Prof. W. J. Beal, of 

 Michigan, published a series of articles 

 on the classification of apples by their 

 flowers. Pomologists gave little atten- 

 tion to the work and nothing has been 

 heard of it since. Orchardists need a 

 more scientific and systematic classifica- 

 tion than is offered by Thomas, Down- 

 ing, and Warder, who base their classi- 

 fication on season or color. In the study 

 of the forms of blooms and the size and 

 shape of the organs of the flowers, it was 

 found that each variety possesses def- 

 inite characteristics that might be used 

 to distinguish it from other varieties. 

 These characteristics are often modifica- 

 tions to insure pollination or to prevent 

 self-fertilization, as in the case of Grimes 

 Golden, in which the pistils recurve out- 

 ward, as shown in Figure 2. In some 

 of the fiowers of this variety this char- 

 acter is developed to such an extent as 

 to make self-pollination absolutely im- 

 possible. The position of the pistil also 

 insures pollination from visits of bees. 

 Other forms of pistils are shown in the 

 Ben Davis, which has a very straight, 

 upright pistil, and Smokehouse, which 

 has a very large knobbed pistil. 



These modifications of pistils, the 



habits of the anthers in dehiscing, the 

 shape, size and color of the flower, the 

 fruits and the definite characters of the 

 lately introduced Russian varieties, all 

 offer a basis of scientific classification of 

 the apple. This classification might be 

 in groups, possessing certain characters, 

 much in the same way as Waugh has 

 classified the "Apples of the Fameuse 

 Type" (Vermont Experiment Station 

 Bulletin S3, 1900). Such a knowledge of 

 relationship might be used to insure 

 wider crosses and greater fruitfulness in 



Fi 



g. 2. No. 4. Keciured Pistils of Grimes Gold- 

 en. No. .">. Pistils of Smokehouse. No. 6, 

 Pistils of Ben Davis. 



our orchards rather than the present 

 haphazard method of planting very 

 closely related varieties near each other. 

 These characters might well lead one to 

 think that Winesap, Arkansas Black, 

 Mammoth Black Twig and, perhaps, 

 Benoni, are closely related. 



Agents of Folliuatioii 



During the years of especially favor- 

 able weather and when all things are in 

 the proper conditions for the largest 

 crops and the greatest fruitfulness, the 

 apple seldom sets more than from four 

 to seven per cent of the flowers borne. 



