76 



THE POLLINATION OF PEAR FLOWERS. 



The condition of the tree is largely influenced by tlie soil and climate 

 of the locality, or in other words the location of the orchard, and also 

 by cultivation, pruning, and fertilizing. By properly cultivating and 

 pruning, and if necessary fertilizing the soil, the orchardist can bring 

 the trees into good condition and keep them so. The methods ipf doing 

 this are understood by the more experienced fruit growers, and as they 

 are given at length in the manuals on fruit culture will not be dis- 

 cussed here. 



In regard to trees of different vegetative vigor, my experience in the 

 pollination experiments agreed perfectly with the general experience 

 of orchardists. The trees in good condition gave the highest per 

 cent of fruit. Further than this, varieties which ordinarily were self- 

 sterile, when in a very fine condition became to some extent capable of 

 self- fecundation . For example, compare the Bartlett trees of the Brock- 

 port and Geneva experiments with those at Eochester, and also the 

 Anjou trees of the same orchards. Again, some of the Anjou trees at 

 Geneva were in such a poor state of nutrition that they would not 

 fruit even under the stimulus of cross-pollination. 



An abundance of vegetative vigor seems to help a tree set and 

 develop its fruits, yielding better results even when the poorest kind of 

 pollen is used. Deficiency of vigor at first renders the tree completely 

 self-sterile, and then, if carried too far, sterile to cross pollination. 



INFLUENCE OF WEATHER DURINQ FLOWERINa TIME. 



The temperature, moisture, and other climatic conditions have two 

 classes of influences : (1) their eft'ect upon the growth of the tree during 

 the previous year or years, (2) their immediate eflect during flowering 

 time. In regard to the first, it may be stated that the pear tree, as is the 

 case with all other plants, has a certain range of temperature in which it 

 thrives best and a certain point beyond which it can not live. This 

 decides the general regions in which the pear can be grown. For 

 example, the ordinary varieties can not be grown in the Dakotas nor in 

 Minnesota because of the extremely cold winters, and, on the other 

 hand, the long, hot summers of Florida, with the very short, mild 

 winters, prove too warm for the Eiiropean varieties, although the 

 oriental varieties and their hybrids do well. 



Within the general area of pear growth there are certain special 

 areas where the fine desert sorts, such as the Bartlett, Anjou, Seckel, 

 etc., can be grown with profit, leaving out of account the fungous dis- 

 eases. The spring weather is in the main responsible for success in 

 these areas. In these regions, such as Delaware and the eastern shore 

 of Maryland, the strip along the south shore of Lake Ontario in western 

 New York, and along the Pacific coast, water protection is the principal 

 element. But even in these favored regions all seasons are not equally 

 favorable. Cold weather is liable to occur after the flowers are out, 

 and spring frosts sometimes destroy the flowers or chill them, so that 



