BURBANK IN THE ORCHARD 



venting self-fertilization. Then the pollen from 

 another flower may be dusted on a watch crystal, 

 and thence transferred with the finger tip or with 

 a small eamel's-hair brush to the pistil of the 

 flower to be fertilized. 



Cover the pistil thoroughly with pollen, and 

 there will be little danger that any foreign pollen 

 may subsequently find lodgment; particularly if 

 the petals of the flower are cut away, so that it 

 will no longer attract bees. 



Mr. Burbank sometimes saves time, in the case 

 of orchard fruits, by operating on a blossom just 

 before it opens, cutting it across with a sharp 

 knife in such a way as to remove the pollen- 

 bearing anthers at the ends of the stamens, care 

 being taken not to injure the pistil at the center of 

 the flower. Pollenation is then effected (after the 

 pistil ripens) in the way just described. 



In operating on a large scale, Mr. Burbank does 

 not find it expedient to cover the flowers with 

 paper bags, nor does he think it necessary to do 

 so. But the amateur who has plenty of time at 

 his disposal may give the flowers this added pro- 

 tection if he so desires. The object is simply to 

 make sure that the bees do not accidentally trans- 

 fer pollen to the pistil, and thus perhaps compli- 

 cate the experiment. 



Such cross-pollenation, through which the 

 strains of various races or species of orchard 

 fruits are blended, constitutes a very essential 

 part of Mr. Burbank 's work. In this way he has 

 brought together the racial strains of plums from 



[71], 



