COMMONPLACE NOTES. 



COMMONPLACE NOTES. 

 By the Secretary and Superintendent. 



Fertility of Apple and Pear Blossom. 



A Fellow asks us for a list, of Apples and Pears whose blossom is self- 

 fertile, and also of those which are by themselves infertile and require to 

 be crossed by wind or bees with the pollen of other varieties. We are 

 not aware of any accurate observations of this kind made in Great Britain, 

 and observations made in America, though perfectly reliable for America, 

 do not at all necessarily hold good for this country, as the exceeding 

 difference of soil and climate exercises so manifest an influence on blossom 

 and on fruit. 



It has, however, been observed by Mr. Edward A. Bunyard and others 

 that " with Apples planted in large square blocks fertility gets Aveaker 

 and weaker towards the centre, where frequently no fruit at all is pro- 

 duced." This was observed particularly in three cases, viz : in a G-acre 

 block'of Dumelow's seedling (Wellington), in an 8-acre block of Ecklinville, 

 and in a very large block of Cox's Orange. It was further observed that 

 his diminished fertility towards the centre of a block did not occur when 

 the trees were planted in alternate rows of different varieties. Some 

 varieties, however, are so notably shy in bearing that they often bear no 

 crop for years together even in a nursery where they are surrounded by a 

 multitude of different varieties, some of which one would think would be 

 sure to suit them as cross-fertilisers. As to the effect of cross-pollination 

 Mr. E. A. Bunyard mentions that having last year crossed a ' Sand- 

 ringham ' blossom with ' Bismarck ' pollen, the resulting fruit " was ripe 

 and fell off* three weeks or a month before any others on the tree, and was 

 in shape and colour quite out of character, more resembling a fine ' Cox ' 

 than a ' Sandringham.' He also tells us that ' Cox's Orange ' crossed 

 with other pollen produces very much larger fruit than if fertilised with 

 its own. Amongst Pears, ' Williams' Bon Chretien ' is generally con- 

 sidered to be better for cross-fertilising. ^lany fruit-growers will no 

 doubt have noticed that both in Apples and Pears the amount of pollen 

 produced generally decreases as the quality of the variety increases. 



Horticultural Club. 



Probably the vast majority of Fellows of the Society are unaware of 

 the existence of the Horticultural Club, and yet it is a very pleasant 

 little club, and does a vast amount of good work for horticulture. Sir 

 John Llewelyn, Bart., is the kind and genial president ; Harry J. Veitch, 

 Esq., is the treasurer ; and E. T. Cook, Esq., has (juite recently been 

 elected secretary, in the place of that veteran octogenarian gardener, the 

 Rev. H. H. D'ombrain, who has acted as secretary since 1865, and is now 

 obliged to retire on account of increasing infirmities, but who carries with 

 him the love and good wishes of every member of the club, indeed of all 

 who have .ever met him. The subscription to the club is only £1, Is. 



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