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MAINE STATE COLLEGE 



6. Secondary Effects of Pollen: This matter was discussed in 

 Fart II of the amiual report of this experiment station for the 

 present year ; but as that report was of a technical nature and not 

 printed for general distribution, some of the notes there given 

 referring to the tomato may be repeated in this connection. From 

 our studies of the subject of plant breeding, we have found that 

 the amount of pollen falling on the stigma of the tomato flower 

 may have an important bearing in determining the form and size 

 of the resulting fruit. In the winter of 1890-1, while crossing 

 tomatoes, two stigmas in the same cluster of flowers were given 

 different amounts of pollen. The first was given a very small 

 amount, while the other was given an excess. The resulting fruit 

 from the first flower was small and deformed, while the other was 

 of normal size and nearly symmetrical in form. The larger fruit 

 produced an abundance of seeds and all of the cells were well 

 developed ; the smaller developed seeds on one side only, while 

 the other side was nearly solid. This difference is very well 

 shown in figures 3 and 4. 



Fig. 3. Different Amounts of Pollen. 



It is certain that the secondary action of pollen in stimulating 

 the growth of the fruit is very important, and the question 

 naturally arises as to what influence would be manifested on the 



