598 Report oF THE HortTICULTURIST OF THE 
During the past season a study has been made of many yarieties 
of grapes commonly found in the vineyards and gardens of this 
State, in order to discover (1) whether self-pollination commonly 
takes place before the blossoms open, and, if so, (2), whether such 
pollination is always sufficient to insure the development of per- 
fect clusters of fruit. 
Self-pollination occurs before the blossoms open.— The best 
time for examining grape buds to find out whether self-pollina- 
tion takes place before the flower opens, is just at the time when 
dehiscence of the corolla begins. Dehiscence usually begins at the 
base of one of the sepals and extends upwards half or two-thirds 
of its length. The straightening up of the stamens if they have 
long filaments, or the reclining or recurving of the stamens, if they 
have short filaments, afterwards dislodges the corolla, or cap as it 
is frequently called, and carries it upwards and to one side, thus 
uncovering the stigma. Occasionally the filaments fail to per 
form this work and the cap persists for an indefinite period, as a 
withered covering on the apex of the young fruit. | 
The anther cells are already opened when dehiscence begins, but 
the pollen has not yet been discharged from them. The dehiscence 
of the corolla allows the moisture to escape and the pollen becom- 
ing somewhat dry, is discharged abundantly on the pistil before 
the cap is displaced, thus insuring self-pollination before the 
stigma is exposed to the access of foreign pollen. 
Self-pollination before the flowers opened was observed in the 
vines named ‘below. When it is said that the observations were 
made before the flowers open it is meant, as explained above, that 
dehiscence had begun, but that no petals had loosened from their : 
attachment at their base, and therefore it is correct to say that 
the observations were made before the flowers opened. 
List of grapes in which self-pollination was observed before 
the flowers opened: 
I. Vitis Lasrusca, L., cultural varieties. 
Adirondack. 
Catawba. 
Concord.* 
Cottage. 

* See also annual report this Station, 1885, p. 253. 


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