OTHER FACTORS IN FRUIT PRODUCTION. 



77 



tliey are less fruitful. It is a common and no doubt well-founded 

 opinion among fruit growers tbat rains during the flowering period 

 wash off the pollen and prevent the flowers from setting fruits. The 

 observant fruit grower watches the weather closely while the fruit 

 trees are in bloom, for that is the critical time so far as the crop is 

 concerned. Warm, sunny weather is of course the best, and the 

 greater the number of such days during: flowering time the better. 

 Eains not only knock oft* the pollen, but prevent the visits of insects 

 and perhaps also injure the stigmas by washing off its secretions. A 

 very light shower of a few minutes' duration, when the flowers are full 

 of pollen, will knock it all off, so that upon examination none can be 

 found. This has been observed several times by the writer. One or 

 two rainy days could probably be spared from the season of flowering 

 without seriously affecting the crop, but each rain and each rainy day 

 has its injurious effect. Prolonged rains during the time of flowering 

 of several days' duration affect the set of fruit very seriously and may 

 even cause a complete faihire. To test this point and to imitate and 

 intensify certain conditions which occurred in the orchard at Chestnut 

 Farm, Mr. D. G. Fairchild tried an interesting experiment at Geneva, 

 in May, 1892. A Mount Vernon pear tree, in good condition and full of 

 buds, was sprayed continuously with water during the entire time of 

 blooming — eight days. This was accomplished by susj)ending a hose 

 from the city water mains supplied with a Yermorel nozzle. The tree 

 was not completely covered with spray during all this time. Never- 

 theless, the result was that no fruit set, the foliage assumed a sickly 

 appearance, and the tree did not fully recover that season. Two un- 

 sprayed trees, of the same variety, and but a few feet distant, fruited 

 well. 



It is now considered by some naturalists that a certain range of tem- 

 perature (below a certain maximum and above a certain minimum) is 

 necessary for the proper fecundation of each species of plant. In the 

 case of wheat it has been found that when the temperature is high 

 self-fecundation is possible j when a certain degree lower it loses this 

 power, but still retains the i30wer of cross-fecundation. A still lower 

 drop in temperature, and the wheat plant is not able to fruit at all. 

 The temperature at which pear flowers will fecundate has not been 

 carefully studied, so that the exact maximum and minimum can not be 

 given. There is little doubt, however, that the warmest and sunniest 

 weather which occurs in spring is the best. 



TIME OF BLOOMINa OF DIFFERENT VARIETIES. 



It is evident that if cross-fertilization is important among pears the 

 difference in time of blooming is of much greater importance than has 

 heretofore been suspected. We have not sufficient data to say at 

 present which varieties of pears work best together, for example, 

 which varieties of pears are preferable to pollinate the Bartlettj but 



