550 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



to the long time the flower is open. The stamens and pistil come to 

 maturity simultaneously. 



The variety ' Comet ' this year commenced to flower a week before 

 ' Raby Castle. ' 



Black Currant. 



The black currant starts flowering next and is about a month in 

 bloom. 



Table C. — Dates of Flowering, &c., of Black Currants at Wye. 





Commenced 

 to flower 



Full flower 



Completed flowering 



Picking ripe 

 began 



1908 



May 4 



May 13-14 



May 18 



July 15 



1909 



April 19 



May 7 



May 21 



July 14 



1910 



April 16 



May 6 



May 21 



July 5 



In black currants the leaves are fully expanded before flowering 

 commences; the stamens and pistil come to maturity simultaneously; 

 the pollen of the black currant is plentiful, spherical in shape, very 

 adhesive, clinging together in a mass ; the flowers are visited plentifully 

 by hive and humble bees. 



When the night frosts occurred in 1908, the weather and flowers 

 were dry, the blossoms did not appear to be at all injured, and the crop | 

 was very good, whereas if the flowers had been wet, it is probable the 

 crop would have been ruined. 



Messrs. G. W. Avery and W. B. Little this year in the planta- 

 tions of the County Councils of Cumberland and Westmorland covered 

 one bush each of gooseberry, red currant, and black currant with { 

 muslin to exclude hive bees and other insects. The gooseberries and ! 

 currants around produced splendid crops, but the covered bushes failed j 

 to produce more than a few dwarf fruits in each case, proving the value] 

 of bees in pollination w^ork, especially in unseasonable and changeable j 

 weather. (See also Journal E.H.S., vol. xxxv., p. 195.) 



Plums. 



The Japanese plums are the earliest to flower, coming into bloom a 

 week before the earliest of the European varieties; this may account 

 for their irregularity in fruiting here, although the flowers are very 

 abundant; they remain in flower a long time (in 1908 for thirty-five 

 days). 



The following is the approximate length of time of the blossoming 

 of European varieties : — 



Table D. — Length of Flowering Time of European Plums. 





Average of 



Time in flower 



In full bloom 



1908 

 1909 

 1910 



10 different varieties 

 7 

 8 



17 days (11 to 24) 



18 days (15 to 24) 

 23 days (20 to 26) 



8ith day (7th to lOtli) 

 7th day (6th to 8th) 

 nth day (6th to 8th) 



