422 
Effect of Cross-Pollination on the Color 
of Apples 
There has been some discussion in the 
past as to the effect of cross-pollination 
on the color of apples. Some have taken 
the ground that such crossing did effect 
the color of the variety crossed, others, 
that no such effect was produced and 
that, in the nature of the case, no effect 
could be looked for. 
In order to ascertain the position of 
investigators at the present time on this 
point, some 50 letters were sent to heads 
of departments of horticulture in the 
various experiment stations in the coun- 
try and to others whose knowledge or 
opportunity for observation would en- 
title them to an opinion. The majority 
of opinions thus far seems against the 
theory. All shades of opinion, however, 
are given. 
“From my personal observation made 
in an orchard of from 100 to 200 trees 
I find that there is no immediate effect 
of pollination upon the color of the 
different varieties of fruit.” 
G. E. Apams, 
Rhode Island State College. 
“As far as color is concerned we find 
that, after working six years, very little 
change is produced directly by pollina- 
tion. We have made no observations that 
lead us to believe that color was directly 
affected by pollination. Wherever we 
have detected any change in color it has 
been slight. The benefits of cross-pollin- 
ation are, first, that you get a larger 
percentage of blossoms to set; second, 
that there are occasional changes in 
size and form.” Cc. I. Lewis, 
Oregon Experiment Station. 
“IT have never seen among fruit trees, 
except in a few instances, the color and 
form which I could believe had any evi- 
dence of being changed by cross-pollina- 
tion. I think that, in a case where apples 
turn dark or striped, it is wholly the 
result of their having been crossed be- 
fore, similar to bud sports, which, in 
fact, they are, in my opinion. The whole 
matter is in heredity, not from pollen.” 
LuTHER BURBANK, 
Santa Rosa, Cal. 
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 
“Top grafting one variety of apples on 
another will not change the color of the 
fruit, nor will cross-pollination. The 
cross is not completed until the seeds 
have been planted and the new tree pro- 
duced.” 
FE. Watney, 
Seattle, Wash, 
“Speaking from the standpoint of a 
number of years of observation I do not 
believe that any definite effect of this 
kind (change in color) can be counted 
upon with certainty. One frequently 
finds examples of Greenings being appar- 
ently affected by the pollen of a Russet 
variety standing in somewhat close prox- 
imity, but I do not think you can count 
on these effects occurring with conting- 
ous regularity. They are to be regarded 
as occasional and somewhat sporadic. 
The influence of cross-pollination seems 
to be associated with affinities of vari- 
eties for each other.” 
JOHN Cralc, 
New York State Agricultural College 
“Observations on cross-pollination of 
apples at this station do not furnish any 
evidence that the color of varieties is 
affected.” 
ALBERT DICKENS, 
Kansas State Agricultural College. 
“Insofar as our knowledge of plant 
breeding goes, the application, for ex- 
ample, of Arkansas Black pollen to Spitz- 
enburg would have no effect on the color 
of the resulting apples. The pollen 
affects only the seeds.” 
JAMES G. Moorz, 
University of Wisconsin College of Agriculture. 
“I am inclined to think that there is 
not much basis for this theory (Effect 
of foreign pollen on the color of apples). 
The case is quite different from that of 
Xenia in corn, inasmuch as we are here 
concerned with the color of adnate parts 
of the seed rather than the color of the 
seed coat.” 
H. L. PRIcs, 
Virginia Experiment Station. 
“Tt have made numerous cross-pollina- 
tions between various varieties of apples 
