IG RATIONAL FRUIT CULTURE. 



though they have grown well and flowered, they have not 

 fruited. 



A.\ IMPORTAM' DISCOVEHY. 



The multiplication of cases of this sort led various 

 horticultural authorities, a few years ago, to commence an 

 investigation, and as the result they announced that many 

 varieties of fruit trees were self-sterile. In other words, the\ 

 could not be fertilised by their own pollen, but required pollen 

 to be brought to them from other varieties, which must, there- 

 fore, be fairly near and in flower at the same time. Unless 

 these conditions were satisfied, there could be no fruit. This 

 was a discovery of far-reaching importance, and even if it 

 be not strictly accurate, it must have a great influence on 

 orchard management. 



SOME VARIETIES SELF-FERTILE, OTHERS SELF-STERILE. 



Among those who have been investigating the matter in 

 this country is Mr. W. J. Middlebrooke, who has published, in 

 the " Journal of the Board of Agriculture," a report of his 

 experiments. They extended over eight years, and his general 

 conclusion- is that no varieties of fruit trees are completely 

 self-sterile, but that many are nearly so, and that almost all 

 are more fertile to other pollen than they are to their own. 

 Some of the varieties thut bore very badly with their own 

 pollen in his experiments were — among Apples, Beauty of 

 Bath, Charles Eoss, Ecklinville Seedling, Hambling s Seedling . 

 and Ribston Pippin; among Pears, Beurre Bosc, Clapp's 

 Favourite, Magnate, and Marie Louise; and among Plums, 

 nearly all the Gages, such as Greenfjiige and Iiate Tnitisixuent 

 r.agc. Some of those that bore well with their own pollen 

 were — among Apples, Stirling Castle, King's Acre Bountiful, 

 Srarlet Nonpareil, and Worcester Pearmain; among Pears, 

 C(Jnll•rellc■(^ Dr. ,Jules (iuyot, Emile d'Hovst, and Louise 

 Bonne of .lersey; and anion},' I'liinis, Blue Rock, Deniiiston's 



