THE BLOSSOMING OF OUR HARDY CULTIVATED FRUITS. 549 



appear to bear more regular and larger crops. The deficiency of crop 

 in the former case is no doubt due to scarcity of pollen. Mr. Geo. 

 BuNYAED tells me that in order to supply pollen, growers often plant in 

 different parts of the nut plantation a variety called * Cosford,' which 

 bears a large quantity of pollen. 



Gooseberry. 



The gooseberry is usually the next fruit after the cob to open 

 flowers : — 



Table A. — Dates of Flowering, &c., of Gooseberries. 





Commenced 

 to flower 



Full 

 flower 



Completed 

 flowering 



Number of 

 days in flower 



Picking 

 green began 



Picking 

 ripe began 



1908 



April 15 



April 28 



May 13 



36 



May 26 



July 10 



1909 



April 10 



April 26 



May 3 



24 



May 25 



? 



1910 



April 12 



April 23 



May 3 



22 



May 16 



July 14 



The bushes are in flower about four weeks on an average, and the 

 fruit is ready to pick green about a month after the bush was in full 

 flower. The flowers and leaves open about the same time, and 

 different varieties appear to flower at nearly the same time. The 

 flowers at the tips of the branches open last. The gooseberry is pro- 

 tandrous, i.e. the stamens shed their pollen before the stigmas of the 

 same flower are in a suitable condition to receive it. The gooseberry 

 flower is unable to pollinate itself, and therefore needs the pollen from 

 another flower* to be brought by insects in order to set fruit. The pollen 

 of the gooseberry is globular and viscid. 



Eed Currant. 



The red currant is usually the next fruit to blossom after the goose- 

 berry commences, but it is not so uniform in its flowering as the latter, 

 thus one bush may be in flower earlier than its neighbour, and the same 

 way with the branches, one may be in full bloom while on another the 

 flowers have not opened. 



Table B. — Dates of Flowering, &c., of Red Currants at Wye. 





Commenced 

 to flower 



Full flower 



Completed flowering 



Picking ripe 

 began 



1908 



April 23 



May 9 to 13 



May 27 



July 10 



1909 



April 19 



April 29 



May 21 



July 12 



1910 



April 15 



April 30 



May 18 



July 13 



The red currant commences to flower before the leaves expand and 

 IS in flower about a month. The pollen is almost spherical and is 

 •similar in appearance to that of the gooseberry and black currant. It 

 IS adhesive and appears to be shed only during a short pericd compared 



