Relation of Bkks to PVvUit Culture. 265 



then, tlie retention of tlie saccliarine element so essentiiilly 

 affects the vahie of forage as one of its milk-prodncing 

 constituents, tliat tlie value of cream and butter is 

 affected by what the bees carry off, how comes it that the 

 milk product of the red clover is so greatly inferior, both 

 in quality and in quantity, to that of the incessantly 

 despoiled white or alsike ? 



Any one at all observing knows that the quality of 

 fruit is greatly improved by the thriftiness of the tree and 

 a free circulation of air through" its branches, and above all 

 exposure to sunlight. Even the sunny side of an apple is 

 mucli higher flavored than the other side. Can it be said 

 that the bee has left the honey on one side and taken it 

 from the other, thus injuring the quality ? 



With these observations I will leave this part of my sub- 

 ject and pass to another, which has agitated the minds 

 of both fruit growers and bee keepers to a considerable 

 extent, during the past year or two, throughout the whole 

 countrv. 



Do bees injure such delicate fruits as grapes, pears, 

 peaches, etc.. by cutting through the skins and sucking the 

 sweet juices of the fruit ? I am well aware that it will not 

 be a difficult matter to find very many to assert that they 

 do. The most casual observer knows that they are very 

 fond of these sweet juices, and will take them very quickly 

 when the fruit is already broken open, but do the bees cut 

 thi'ough the fruit themselves ? — that is the question. 



Thus fur in our investi«:ations we have found the bee 

 only the friend of man, and it would seem at least a little 



