68 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



the Vermont Experiment Station, who delivered a wonder- 

 fully pleasing- and instructive address on "Bees, Flowers 

 and Fruit. " The lecture was illustrated with many fine 

 lantern slides, and was attentively listened to by all. 



It is impossible to reproduce Professor Jones' lecture 

 here, owing to the fact that he spoke without notes and 

 much of the talk was in explanation of the pictures thrown 

 on the screen. 



It is regretted that only this brief abstract can be 

 given. Among the many practical points brought out by 

 Professor Jones, were the'foUowing: 



My subject embraces the relation of the flowers,^ 

 through bees, to the fruit. 



Education does not, as many seem to think, consist in 

 deluging with facts. It is rather that one be stimulated to 

 ask questions and learn. Ask Nature! Start out by ask- 

 ing the how and why about everything connected with our 

 work as fruit growers. 



Plants live to store up nutrition and to reproduce them- 

 selves. 



Here the speaker explained, the process of seed produc- 

 tion and how it was discovered and worked out by the 

 early scientists. 



Charles Darwin was the master-mind in horticulture, 

 as well as in evolution and philosophy, and the fruit 

 grower should have the greatest respect for him. He 

 was the first to work out with completeness the seed pro- 

 cess in plant life. This principle is now conceded to be of 

 the greatest importance and closely related to the profits 

 of the farmer. 



We know that the fruit is but a secondary product — the 

 seed is the fundamental 'thing with plants. We are, how- 

 ever, more interested in th.e fruit product and the principles 

 that govern its production. 



It has been found that an excess of pollen does more 

 than simply develop the seed; it stimulates the fruit also. 

 Our fruits must have cross-polination in order to fur- 

 nish enough stimulus for their best development. Pears, 

 for example, are mostly self-sterile. This crossing that is 

 so necessary is largely done by insects, but the bee is 



