636 Report or tae HorricutTourist oF THE 
assist in fertilizing the blossoms by carrying the pollen from one 
flower to another. But the green and white leaves are not 
essential to the production of fruit, for they may all be removed 
and still perfect fruit may be formed. In fact this frequently 
happens in artificially crossing fruits, when in removing the 
male organs above referred to as producing the pollen, the 
flower leaves are all cut away before the bud opens, thus leaving 
simply the female organs called pistils, which occupy the center 
of the blossom. 
in the center of the blossom the pistils are located, as shown 
in Fig. 1. But this figure shows a flower that is imperfect 
because it bears the female organs, the pistils, but has none of 
the male organs, the stamens. Fig. 2 illustrates a strawberry 
blossom that is called perfect because it has both male and female 
organs. ‘The stamens are here seen immediately surrounding the 
pistils in the center of the flower. The stamen consist of a 
slender thread or filament terminating in a tiny pouch or sack, 
which is filled with the yellow powder called pollen. The single 
grains of pollen are so small as to be scarcely visible. 
The character of grape blossoms and their peculiar method of 
opening is briefly discussed in the annual report of this Station 
for 189%, p. 597. 
When the flowers open and the pistils are ready to receive the 
pollen, the end of the pistil becomes slightly moist and sticky, 
so that the pollen readily adheres to this portion of the pistil 
when it comes in contact with it. The pollen grains thus find- 
ing lodgment sprout and send out a minute tube, which grows 
down into the central portion of the pistil till it reaches and fer- 
tilizes the rudimentary seeds contained therein. This is briefly 
the process of fertilization as that word is applied to flowers. 
After being fertilized, the rudimentary seeds begin to develop 
into seeds, and the surrounding portions of the embryo fruit are 
thereupon incited. into growth. On the contrary, if the pistil is 
not supplied with pollen it soon withers, and no fruit is formed. 
In this connection it is not necessary to consider those unusual 
cases where fruit is developed without the action of pollen. 
Experiments with Grapes. 
As stated before, for many years certain horticulturists have held 
the opinion that occasionally varieties of grapes were found in 
cultivation that were more prolific when standing in proximity to 
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