548 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



OBSEBVATIONS ON THE BLOSSOMING OF OUE HARDY 

 CULTIVATED FRUITS. 



By Cecil H. Hoopeb, M.R.A.C. 



[Read November 8, 1910.] ' 



My object in making notes on the blossoming of fruits was to try to 1 

 ascertain the critical point in the flowering period when the blossoms | 

 were most susceptible to frost, but during the three seasons I have 

 kept careful note at Wye, Kent, little or no injury seems to have been ' 

 done by frost; in 1909 and 1910, especially the latter, the shortage 

 of plums, pears, and apples seems rather to be due to dull, cold, 

 and rainy weather while the trees were in flower, than to frost. In ' 

 1908 the flowering-time was generally sunny and dry, and although 

 there were slight frosts on two or more nights, the flowers being dry, i 

 little or no injury seemed to follow; in that year there was a good crop 

 of all fruits. 



The importance of insects in the transference of pollen from one i 

 flower to another has long been known, but it is only within the last | 

 twenty years that in growing apples and pears it has been found to 

 be always advantageous and with some varieties -absolutely necessary 

 to have cross-pollination of different varieties in order to get satisfactory 

 fruit crops. Pollination consists in the transference of pollen from the 

 stamen to the stigma. ' 



Self-pollination is the transference of pollen from the same flower, 

 and in the case of fruit trees from a flower of the same plant or from 

 other plants of the same variety. 



Cross pollination in the case of fruits is the transference of pollen 

 from one variety, for example, of apple to the stigma of another variety 

 of apple ; for the trees of one variety are for this purpose similar, having 

 their origin in one single tree and not from different seeds as in most ; 

 other plants. 



Cob Nuts. 



The cob and filbert nuts flower earliest in the year. In these the 

 male and female flowers are separate though on the same tree ; the 

 catkins of the former shed their pollen and the Utile crimson stigma ; 

 of the latter are ready to receive it from about the beginning of February 

 to the end of March. Being wind-fertilized the pollen is very abundant, 

 and dust-like in consistency ; it is globular in shape with triangular 

 facets. For nuts to be produced there needs to be plenty of catkins as 

 well as the female or pistillate flowers ; if there are no catkins on the 

 trees I am told hazel boughs with catkins on, placed in the "cob-nut 

 trees, will supply the pollen. Single nut trees in a garden frequently do 

 not bear fruit, whereas where ' there are many trees together they 



