29, Direcror’s REPORT OF THD 
Station, together with lists of the kinds most productive here, of 
new kinds apparently worthy of testing, of medium early 
varieties, of late varieties and of varieties having a long fruiting 
season. Other characteristics of interest to strawberry growers 
are also set forth. 
Pollen studies.— In a laboratory study of grape pollen in 1902 
the interesting discovery was made that the self-sterile varieties 
of the grape which were studied have a pollen of a peculiar form 
which, when examined dry under the microscope, may readily be 
distinguished from the pollen of self-fertile grapes. This dis- 
covery appears to disclose a quick and reliable way for answering 
the question whether or not a variety is self-sterile. The micro- 
scopic examination of the pollen is a much easier and more ex- 
peditious method for answering this question than the old way of 
bagging the clusters before the blossoms open to prevent the 
access of other pollen and in due time observing whether any 
fruit is formed under such conditions. An account of this work 
is published in Bulletin No. 224. 
Self-fertility of grapes.— From 1900 to 1902 certain other ques- 
tions pertaining to the self-fertility of the grape were investigated 
which were treated in Bulletin No. 223. In previous tests 
varieties which are self-sterile, or nearly so, have shown about as 
little ability for fertilizing other self-sterile sorts as they have for 
fertilizing themselves. In the tests reported in Bulletin No. 223 
they have usually failed to fertilize self-fertile sorts also. In 
some instances, however, indications were found that some self- 
impotent pollen was potent to some extent on other varieties. 
The influence on self-fertility of girdling or sharply bending 
the fruiting canes before the blooming season was also investi- 
gated. In some cases self-fertility or imperfectly self-fertile sorts 
were stimulated to increased productiveness by such treatment. 
In other cases they were not. Further tests need to be made to 
learn whether or not this practice may be profitable with any of 
our commercial varieties. The method is not new in viticulture. 
It is practiced by Greeks with Zante grapes to promote setting of 
fruit and to secure uniformity of bunch and increased size of 
berry. The ring of bark which is taken out is so narrow that the 
