SUMMER MEETING. 75- 



find its way home by instinct from long distances, its superior gifts of 

 sight, hearing, feeling, etc. Nor yet to describe its apparent perfect 

 knowledge of mathematical economy, both in form, and in quantity of 

 material, as displayed in the construction of its combs. Nor to enlarge 

 upon its loyalty and bravery, shown in the defense of its home and 

 stores. Nor yet the wonderful mysterious, facts that have been dis- 

 covered in their methods of reproduction, which surpass many other 

 insects. These things and many other peculiarities, interesting as they 

 might be made to the student of nature, it is not my present object to 

 discuss; but to inquire more particularly as to its relations to the 

 science of horticulture, both as a factor in fecundation and also in the 

 destruction of tender fruits. 



One of the most interesting subjects of philosophical inquiry is 

 tbat of insect pollenation of plants. Naturalists have long been aware 

 of the fact that pistillate flowers, whether growing on the same plant 

 with the staminate, or on diflFerent plants, owe their pollenation mostly 

 to the agency of bees, which carry the pollen from the staminate to 

 the pistillate flowers. Nearly all such plants have flowers which secrete 

 a nectar attractive to bees, and this has been regarded as one of the 

 numerous evidences of the agency of a designing Providence ; but still 

 stronger evidence, if possible, is furnished by the fertilization of many 

 perfect flowers by the agency of bees. It has generally been thought 

 that flowers bearing stamens and pistils were always self fertilizing^ 

 but this is not the case with many kinds. There is a provision by 

 which many plants are prevented from in-and-in breeding, the parts 

 of the flowers being so arranged that it is impossible for the pollen to 

 come in contact with the stigma without the agency of bees or other 

 insects in search of honey. This is a case in which there is conclu- 

 sive evidence that provision has been made not only with the evident 

 design of preventing self-fertilization, but also with the design of 

 attracting the bees, which are made the agent of sure fecundation, in- 

 stead of leaving it to the agency of the hap hazard winds, which, at 

 best, could only be depended on, if at all, when the stamens and pistils 

 were favorably located. 



Again, for the purpose of more perfectly insuriog cross-fertiliza- 

 tion in many other perfect flowers, the stamens precede the female 

 organs in development, and shed their pollen before impregnation can 

 take place, leaving the pollenation to be accomplished by the agency 

 of bees, which bring the pollen from other flowers not so forward in 

 development. But, besides all this, it is a well-known fact that when 

 bees are gathering honey and pollen (for they gather both at the same 

 time ), they almost invariably work consecutively upon a single variety 



