74 BOARD OF AGRICULTUEE. [Jail., 



Question. Does the bee bite the grape or other fruit ? 



Mr. Jeffries. I answered that question last winter at 

 Rockville. I can satisfy any reasonable man, by an exami- 

 nation of the mouth of a bee, through a powerful microscope, 

 that it is impossible for a bee to bite through the skin of 

 the grape or any other fruit. After the skin has been punc- 

 tured they will suck the fruit dry of its saccharine substance, 

 but they cannot puncture it. 



Question. Does the king bird do much injury to bees ? 



Mr. Jeffries. Yes, sir ; it is very disastrous round an 

 apiary. 



Question. Whether the queen bee ever stings ? 



Mr. Jeffries. The queen bee stings her own sisters, but 

 does not sting people. I have never known of but one 

 instance where a queen bee stung the person who handled 

 her. 



Prof. J. W. Clark of the Amherst Agricultural College 

 was called upon to speak on the subject of fruit. 



Prof. Clark. 1 was not here this morning when the paper 

 was read, and do not know what was said, and if there is any- 

 thing you want to ask me about, I think it will be best for 

 you to ask questions. 



Question. I would like to know if there is any hope of 

 peach-trees being cured of the yellows ? 



Prof. Clark. I think the yellows may be a disease and 

 may not ; I don't think there is anything known certainly 

 about it. The trouble seems to be that the circulation of the 

 sap in the tree is clogged ; that is, it does not circulate as 

 freely as it should, and in that way the cells of the wood 

 become clogged, and what is wanted is to clear the cell and 

 let the sap circulate freely again. That Prof. Goessmann has 

 done by fertilizing the tree ; that is, by giving it muriate of 

 potash, bone, and phosphates, and then heading the tree back 

 severely. I have seen a tree, the leaves of which were not 

 more than an inch and a half long, very narrow, yellow, and 

 all rolled up, so that you would think the tree could not live, 



