STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 55 



of good Stores for winter, and a prolific queen, a young queen 

 preferred in each colony. Then if we provide suitable quarters 

 in which to winter the bees, whether out of doors or in the 

 cellar, we have done our part toward this desired end. 



There are several races of bees of which the Italian bee, first 

 imported from Italy, but now bred and kept extensively in this 

 country, is probably the best known and most popular. For the 

 purpose of pollination in the orchards in this state, or for the 

 production of comb honey, I would prefer the Carniolans or 

 our common black or German bee. If working for extracted 

 honey, especially in a locality where a late flow could be expected 

 such as from buckwheat, for instance, perhaps the Italians 

 would be the better bee. In two years' experience with Carnio- 

 lans I find they winter well and build up rapidly even under 

 adverse spring weather conditions if they have plenty of stores 

 and hives. For purposes of pollination in the orchards of Maine 

 these qualities are valuable and we cannot get strong colonies 

 any too soon, to secure the best results in the production of 

 honey. 



FERTILIZERS FOR THE APPLE ORCHARD. 



Prof. C. A. McCue, Newark, Delaware. 



During the past few years there has been a rather sharp con- 

 troversy going on among horticulturists regarding the advis- 

 ability of using commercial fertilizers in the apple orchard. One 

 class contends that it is seldom necessary to apply commercial 

 fertilizers, while another school has insisted that their use was 

 justified. During the past seven years the speaker has had con- 

 siderable experience with the use of commercial fertilizers in 

 orchard work, although it is to be confessed that this work has 

 been carried on with peach trees more than with apple tiees. 

 The peach is more sensitive than the apple to changes in food, 

 climate, and method of cultivation. Yet in all probability, the 

 fundamental principles underlying the use of commercial fer- 

 tilizers for the peach orchard are approximately the same as 

 those in the apple orchard. My stand on the much debated 

 question of orchard feeding is that both sides are more or less 

 justified in the course they have followed. This seemingly para- 



