THE BLOSSOMING OF OUR HARDY CULTIVATED FRUITS. 555 



Pears. i 



In most varieties of pear the leaves commence to unfurl and tht 

 flower buds open about the same time ; in some kinds the leaves are 

 almost unfurled before the flowers begin to open, while in others the 

 leaves commence to unfurl only when the tree is in full flower. 



The average flowering record at Wye is as follows : — 



Table G. 



_ ! 





Average length of time . 



Avelrage day in 







in flower 



full flower 



1908 



1909 i 

 1910 



15 varieties 



15 „ 

 15 



15 days (varying between 

 10 and 18) 

 18 days (15 to21) 

 23i days (18 to32) 



5gth day (varying 4th 

 to 8tli) 

 8th day (7th to 9th) 

 11th day (5th to 17th) 



The longer period in flower in 1910 was probably due to the sunless 

 and rainy weather during which they were in flower. 



At Wye the average length of time in flower is about eighteen days 

 Jtftd of reaching full bloom the eighth day (see Table H). 



The varieties ' Duchesse d'AngouIeme ' and * Beurre Olairgeau ' 

 seem to be early on all records, while * Doyenne du Comice ' and 

 ' Marie Louise d'Uccle ' appear to be always among the last to com- 

 mence to flower. ■ 



The following varieties of pear appear to be specially good pollen 

 producers: 'Beurre Olairgeau,' ' Pitmaston Duchess,' NGatillac,' 

 'Marie Louise d'Uccle,' ' Clapp's Favourite,' and * Doy'ennc^ du 

 Comice. * 



In the pear the flower contains twenty stamens, the anthers being 

 red, and a five-celled ovary with five styles and stigmas; the stigma is 

 covered with small blunt papillge, which form a sort of ibrush to 

 catch and retain the pollen. During part of the life of the flower 

 the stigma secretes a slightly sticky liquid which moistens its 

 surface. The greenish disc in the centre of the flower is the nectary. 

 Each cell of the ovary cjDntains two ovules, making ten in all; these 

 when properly fecundated may all develop into seeds. The pear 

 flowers are borne in corymbose clusters, generally consisting of seven 

 or eight buds, although the number may vary. In the pear the stamens 

 are longer than the styles, but when the flower opens the stamens are 

 curled inwards and are immature, while the stigmas are ripe and ready 

 for pollination. Thus for artificial pollination one is able to choose 

 buds nearly ready to open, pull off the petals, cut out the stamens, and 

 pollinate the stigmas with any pollen chosen. Miiller says cross-fertili- 

 zation is insured only if insects come soon after the opening of the 

 flower. In the absence of insects, self-fertilization may take place 

 as in the apple ; he frequently observed how easily pollen from a ripe 

 stamen adheres to the stigmas of a flower long before its anthers are 

 ripe. He records thirty-one different insects visiting pear flowers. 



