14 BULLETIN" 542, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 
throughout the tree. There were many panicles throughout the 
tree on which there were no fruits, aside from those which were hand- 
pollinated. 
Other hand pollinations (all with pollen from the same tree) were 
made in 1915, as follows: 
Mullgoa. — -Panicle No. 1, all fresh stigmas, pollinated on six successive days. 
Panicle No. 2, all fresh stigmas, pollinated on five successive days. 
No fruits were carried on either one, although there were a few fruits on other 
parts of the tree. 
Malda. — One panicle, on which all fresh stigmas were pollinated on five successive 
days, 243 stigmas in all. No fruits set, and there were only two elsewhere on 
the tree. 
Kola Alfonso. — All fresh stigmas on one panicle, hand-pollinated on two successive 
days. No fruits set, and none elsewhere on the tree. Perhaps the tree was too 
young; this was its first year of flowering. 
White Alfonso. — One panicle, all fresh stigmas, hand-pollinated on three successive 
days. Set well, agreeing with the other panicles on the tree. 
Amini.—One panicle, all fresh stigmas, hand-pollinated on four successive days. 
One fruit carried, agreeing with several other panicles naturally pollinated. 
Sandersha.— Two panicles hand-pollinated on several successive days. Set several 
fruits but carried none; behavior differed in no way from many others natu- 
rally pollinated. 
In general, it may be said that the quantity of fruit produced in all 
the above cases agreed with the average of other panicles on the tree 
which were not hand-pollinated. In other words, no appreciable 
effect was produced by applying an abundance of pollen to the stigmas. 
In 1916 this experiment was repeated on a small scale, and in addi- 
tion an attempt was made to determine whether or not cross-pollina- 
tion would increase the production of fruit; and an experiment was 
carried on to determine whether fruits would be produced without 
the pollination of the stigmas. This latter experiment was suggested 
by the investigations of Belling l who studied young ovaries of the 
polyembryonic No. 11 race and found that all the embryos appeared 
to be adventive, no trace being seen of the fertilized egg cell and no 
traces of pollen tubes being found in the styles. This suggested that 
fertilization might not be necessary for the development of these 
polyembryonic mangos. 
In order to manipulate the flowers more readily and lessen the dan- 
ger of contamination, all the lower laterals were removed from the 
panicles operated upon in 1916, leaving only the flowers upon the 
upper 4 or 5 inches of the panicle. Working with the whole panicle, 
which may produce 4,000 flowers, it is next to impossible to insure 
that no anthers are allowed to dehisce or that some of the stigmas arc 
not accidentally pollinated. The panicles were all inclosed in fine 
muslin bags stretched over a wire frame attached to the branch below 
the base of the panicle. 
i Belling, John. Report of assistant in horticulture. Mango. In Fla. Agr. Exp. Sta. Rpt. [1907J/08, 
p. cx-cxxv, pi. 7-10. [1908.] 
