1G4 



MEMOIRS OF THE KEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN 



EXPLANATION OF TEXT FIGURE 1 

 Many varieties of avocados bloom so profusely that a small tree, such as of 

 the Dickinson variety here shown, will produce many thousands of flowers. Day 

 after day sets of flowers come into bloom. It is a physical impossibility for the 

 tree to hold and mature fruits for even one per cent, of all the flowers. But for 

 most varieties few fruits set even where insects may visit the flowers abundantly. 

 One may make careful cross-pollinations only to have most of the flowers fall 

 promptly. Possibly many of the flowers, especially when in off-stride or irre^- 

 lar action, are unable to yield fruits to any sort of pollination. In the end there 

 may be few or even no fruits on the tree. 



From the flower behavior of avocados it is clear that there is a decided 

 adaptation for reciprocal cross-pollination between certain varieties. An in- 

 crease in proper cross-pollination is liable to give increased yields of fruit. 



