I am going to start soon fertilising alders with their pollen. "With
an artist's paint brush" is the usual advice, but even though I am not
an artist, I know that there are many kinds of "artist's paint brush".
Which kind should I use?

Let me do a bit of start-up thinking. The pollen has to stick to the
bristles to a moderate extent; if the pollen doesn't stick at all,
then the paint brush won't carry the pollen and it won't be any use,
but I also want the pollen not to be held too firmly otherwise no
fertilisation will be achieved.

This has prompted me to think a little for myself. How useful is it
going to be to look at the bristle of the paint brush to check how
much pollen is on them, before and after?

Michael Bell
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