318 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



4, All evidence at hand contradicts the theory that wind renders 

 any dependable assistance in cross-pollenation among orchard fruits, 

 while it does emphasize the importance of the honey bee as an agent 

 in rendering this great service to the frnit grower, 



5. It has been shown beyond dispute that spraying open blossoms 

 with arsenical poisons is injurious to bees. Also one runs the risk 

 of injuring the unfertilized open flowers, in addition to leaving thou- 

 sands of poison cups which kill the goose which lays golden eggs." 



At first and for many years the idea prevailed that bees were 

 inimical to the fruit grower; then came the time when it was real- 

 ized that the bee-keepers' and the fruit-growers' interests were mu- 

 tual; now it is proven beyond the adventure of doubt, that bees are 

 absolutely necessary for perfect pollenation of certain kinds of fruit 

 particularly that of the apple. The famous Kepp Brothers of New 

 Jersey, with 800 acres of fruit, say they would as soon dispense with 

 spraying as with bees, and if they even fail to secure any honey, they 

 claim they pay for themselves many times over. Lastly, reports 

 have been made from different sections that bees were poisoned and 

 in some cases whole apiaries wiped out by injudicious spraying. Not- 

 withstanding the teaching of years, there are yet individuals so ex- 

 tremely ignorant and foolish as to spray trees while in bloom. Teach 

 it. Speak it from the housetops. Cry it out in the streets. Get it 

 into the heads of the unlearned, that NOTHING IS GAINED by 

 spraying while trees are in bloom. A definite and emphatic law 

 should be passed to stop this pernicious practice. 



REPORT OF AGRICULTURAL GEOLOGIST 



By W. H. STOUT 



As the time approached to prepare a topic for this meeting, I 

 formulated in my mind, and later made notes until I had prepared 

 what was intended to pass into history as a brilliant classic on the 

 past and present of Agriculture. Upon receiving notice that the 

 time assigned me, about 15 minutes, from 11.45 A. M., when every- 

 body is hungry and getting ready for dinner, I had to revise, con- 

 dense, reconstruct and abbreviate until little remains but a dis- 

 jointed part, after cutting out so much. Some may even think it 

 might have all been cut out except the title. 



Jdgs. 12,-5: Ephraimites could not pronounce like the men of 

 Gilead, so there were slain 42,000. 



Just what to offer on an occasion like the present without repeat- 

 ing w^hat has been said before, taxes one's mind, and to present it 

 in an acceptable manner before an intelligent audience like the one 

 assembled here is no easy task. Sometimes listeners are over sensi- 

 tive and critical which adds to the embarrassment. It is not con- 

 sidered good taste nor genteel to use the personal pronoun in writing 



