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POLLINATION AND FRUIT SETTING 



Determining the Number and Arrangement of Pollenizers in 

 the Orchard, Not more than four rows of a self-unfruitful 

 variety should be planted together. If two varieties are being 

 planted in equal numbers, four rows of one and then four rows 

 of another can be planted, although practical orchard observa- 

 tion indicates that two rows of one and then two rows of an- 

 other often result in larger crops. Orchardists who have been 

 studying this problem in the Shenandoah-Cumberland Valley 

 section state that their best crops, especially in bad pollina- 

 tion years, occur where not more than two rows of the same 

 variety are planted together. If more of one variety is desired 

 than another, two or three rows to one, or four to one, can be 

 planted. 



If the least possible number of pollenizers is desired, there 

 should be at least one pollenizing tree to every thirty trees in 

 the orchard, or about every fifth tree in every fifth row. It 

 would be much safer, however, to have at least one tree out of 

 every nine a pollenizer. This would mean that every third tree 

 in every third row should be a pollenizer. 



Whenever two self -unfruitful varieties are planted together, 

 only one of which is capable of pollinating the other, a third 

 variety should be planted to pollinate the second one. 



For instance, in the case of apples, if Delicious and Stay- 

 man Winesap were planted together, the Delicious would pol- 

 linate the Stayman Winesap satisfactorily, but since the Deli- 

 cious is self-unfruitful, and since the Stayman Winesap pollen 

 is of no value for fertilizing any variety, it can be seen that 

 practical^ no fruit would be borne on the Delicious. Then a 

 third variety, as Grimes or Jonathan, should be planted to pol- 

 linate the Delicious. On the other hand if Yellow Transparent 

 and Stayman Winesap were planted together the Yellow 

 Transparent would fertilize both the Stayman Winesap and 

 itself, and satisfactory crops would probably be produced on 

 both varieties. 



5. Using Bees for Cross-Pollination. Bees are of great 

 value for cross-pollination purposes, and unless wild bees are 



