75 



On the reassembling of the Association of Economic Entomologists 

 the first paper was presented by Mr. F. W. Kane, on the following- 

 subject: 



NOTES ON THE FERTILIZATION OF MUSKMELONS BY INSECTS. 

 By F. Wm. Raxe, Morgantown, W. Va. 



Last season a great many varieties of muskmelon were grown at the 

 New Hampshire College Agricultural Experiment Station. The season, 

 however, was very wet, and much of the fruit did not set, which was 

 attributed to the absence of insects, upon which the plants are sup- 

 posed to depend. 



As we stated in Bulletin 52 of last season, we are now carrying on 

 some experiments in hand fertilization to determine if the operation is 

 successful, whereby we would be independent of unfavorable seasons. 

 We found that we have been mistaken in our idea that the muskmelon 

 is monoecious, as upon examination of our entire list of ninety-five 

 varieties the so-called pistillate flower is to all appearances, excepting 

 in the mammoth varieties, perfect. According to this, the flowers were 

 not necessarily fertilized from the pollen carried from one to another. 

 Upon microscopical examination it was found that to all appearances 

 there was equally as much pollen in the x>erfect as in the staminate 

 flower. Many flowers containing pistils were covered with bags before 

 they had opened, and self-pollinated when fully open ; while others were 

 simply covered to see if they were capable of self-fertilization. We 

 have succeeded in setting some of the fruit fertilized by its own pollen, 

 although it is not yet mature. Where we did not hand pollinate the 

 fruit has not set. 



Upon close observation of the insects at work, and from the structure 

 and arrangement of the stamen and pistil, we believe that self-fertili- 

 zation through the agency of insects is quite the natural one. The tri- 

 lobed pistil is so formed that the three stamens are virtually set into 

 grooves, the pistil projecting upon all sides. When the insects come 

 in search of nectar it is but natural that the pollen from this flower be 

 brought into contact with the stigma. 



Should self-fertilization prove successful, there seems to be no expla- 

 nation of the oflice of the staminate flowers, which are so numerous. 

 When watching the insects at work upon the melon blossom I have 

 seen a single bee go from flower to flower for five minutes without 

 touching a single so-called pistillate blossom. Accordingly, I have had 

 one row picked each day of its staminate flowers to see if a larger 

 proportion of the fruit would set. I find that we have only about the 

 same amount of fruit set thus far on this as in the other rows. With 

 a season like the present, when the insects are numerous, doubtless 

 there is little gained in so doing, but to insure fertilization in seasons 

 when insects are few it seems plausible. 



