118 PEOPAGATION OF PLAKTS. 



ovule is necessary to the enlargement of the surrounding 

 and supporting organs, it appears that very few observers 

 have endeavored to trace the iafluence of the pollen beyond 

 the seed, probably because the practical utility of the 

 operation, in most instances, ceases at this point, 

 although every observing horticulturist must have noticed 

 that the parts most valued in what we call fruits, are at 

 least dependent upon pollination, even if the act does not 

 extend to actual fertilization of the ovule. I use the 

 term pollination to designate an act in plants the equiva- 

 lent of co-habitation in animals, which does not neces- 

 sarily extend to or result in fertilization. The necessity 

 of the presence of pollen to produce perfect fruits and 

 seeds is not doubted, but the moot point connected with 

 this matter is, whether or not in cross-fertilization, the 

 poUen has any influence in changing the form, color or 

 properties of the parts enclosing the ovary. My atten- 

 tion was first called to this matter some twenty-five years 

 ago, while experimenting with vai'ious pistillate varieties 

 of the Strawberry, the flowers of which, as is well known, 

 must be fertilized with pollen from some perfect flow- 

 ered variety, in order to secure a crop of berries. When 

 employing varieties bearing large coxcomb-shaped fruit, 

 like that of the Peabody and Triomphe de Gand, for 

 supplying pollen to such pistillates as the Hovey and 

 Burr's 'New Pine, I noticed that the fruit of the latter 

 two often assumed the shape of the former or pollen- 

 yielding plants. This led me to further experiments in 

 that direction, all of which tended to establish the fact, 

 that the influence of the pollen is often sufficiently 

 potent, not only to change the form, but also the color 

 and flavor of the fruit. I briefly referred to this subject 

 in my "Small Fruit Culturist" published in 1867, and 

 since that time I have had occasion to make many other 

 experiments, for determining the influence of pollen in 

 cross-fertilization and hybridization of different kinds of 



