Bees and Flowers 



By J. B. Thomson 



In the economy of nature, the subject of the relation 

 of bees to horticulture is so great that I can only give 

 a brief outline of it in this article. 



We know that bees gather nectar from the blos- 

 soms, but It is not known generally why their wants are 

 supplied by the floral world. The answer to this re- 

 veals to us a new meaning for the existence of these 

 insects. 



Plants blossom in order that seed may be produced, 

 and the race continued. Before seed can be produced 

 pollen borne by anthers must be placed on a certain spe- 

 cial part called the stigma ; should the pollen be of a 

 suitable kind, and the stigma in a receptive condition, 

 i. e., adhesive, when the pollen comes into contact, then 

 a delicate thread called the pollen tube is thrown out 

 by the pollen granule which forms a connection with 

 the seed vessel by which the seed becomes fertilized, 

 and when mature capable of germination. 



If we examine a flower we shall find generally just 

 within its corolla the productive organs; they consist 

 of stamens and pistil. Stamens are slender filaments, 

 carrying little knobs at their extremities called anthers 

 which bear pollen : these are the male organs, while the 

 female organ consists of the ovary containing the 

 ovules or undeveloped seeds, and one or more thread- 

 like styles arising from it, each terminating with a fleshy 

 stigma. 



The great majority of flowers possess both anthers 

 and stigma, thus carrying both sexes on the same flow- 

 er. This would lead us to suppose the transmission of 

 pollen was secure ; but it is not so, for we know that con- 

 spicuous flowers, generally speaking, are especially ar- 

 ranged to prevent or impede fertilization by pollen, 

 which they themselves produce, while marvelous con- 

 trivances are found to secure pollen from some other 

 flower, ol¥ a plant of the same species, by the agency 

 of bees. Nature protests against inbreeding in plants 

 no less than animals, in flowers as well as bees. 



Sprengel was able to show bj' far the larger num- 

 ber of flowering plants confide to insects the duty of 

 bringing about these unions, which without them 

 would never be accomplished. Of the whole insect 

 agency the honey bee stands at the head of the list and 

 fertilizes about 90 per cent., and is par excellence the 

 complement of the blossom. 



For in spring when fruit trees are in bloom there are 

 20 bees visiting the flowers to one of any other kind of 

 insects, the flowers offering them pollen and nectar 

 in the most attractive form. We thus see that pollen 

 is necessary to both flowers and bees, and is borne in 

 such profusion that the surplus goes as a flesh-forming 

 food for the bees. 



The position of nectaries in flowers dilTers ; while 

 some lie on the surface, others are found in deep re- 

 cesses : this insures the bees coming well into contact 

 with the male and female parts, but the sexes don't 

 always exist in the same flower, and many flowers in 

 which both do exist prevent self-fertilization by ma- 

 turing these organs the one before the other. 



The proteranderous plants are those in which the 

 anthers ripen first; for example, if we examine a nas- 

 turtium flower we find the nectar secreted in a long 

 spur. When the flower first opens the style is short 

 and immature, and the anthers mature one after the 

 other, the process occupying from three to seven days, 

 during this time the flower is in function only male ; 

 the anthers now fade and droop of¥, when the style 

 grows longer and the pistil with the stigma adhesive 

 and receptive assumes its proper position to receive 

 the pollen from the powdered breast of a bee, carried 

 from a younger to this older flower. 



Proterogenous plants are a class the reverse of the 

 last ; for example, the apple, which mature the female 

 parts first, is strictly a fusion of five fruits and requires 

 no less than five separate fertilizations for its perfect 

 production. It sometimes happens that one or two 



NOVELTY PEONY FLOWERED DAHLIAS 



With the recent popularity of this beautiful type of Dahlias a distinct advance has been made m 

 size, coloring and profuseness' of bloom. The following ten varieties, grown for the first time in this 

 country last season, proved to be decided acquisitions to this grand type. 



Alice Brilliant carmine, shaded lake; this variety is bor 

 * above the foliage on long, stiff stems. 



veil 



Belfast Gem 



Betty. 



Light pink, shaded carmine, deep yellpw center; 



most charming; profuse and early bloomer. 

 \ beautiful deep pink flower of excellent size and evenness 

 ■ f color. Splendid. 



Engineer. 

 Matador. 



r^nrhinPJll "^ most striking variety, and the subject of mui 

 * admiration in our fields last autumn; of de 



Beautiful bright lake, suffused yellow, a most ex- 

 quisite color; very free-flowering and of large size. 

 Terra-cotta, suffused lake; a distinct variety of per- 

 fectly charming color. 

 PpmhrnlcP Bright carmine, shaded white; flowers large, borne 

 I ClIIUIUIVC ^^^jj above the foliage on strong, stiff stems. 

 Pir^dor ^^^P blush, shaded lilac; of decidedly unique coloring 



(i, shaded fawn. 

 Without doubt one of the finest 



Dahlias yet 



nd good exhibition siz€ 



The Duchess ^'=""''^"' '='''" 



long, stiff stems, 

 shaded crimson; a perfectly 

 gorgeous bloomer of ideal habit, and one that 

 ally nfler this coming year. 



Purity. 



Pot plants, for delivery during May, $1.25 each, $12 per doz. Set of one each, 10 varieties, 10 plants, $10. 



I'lace vdiir urdcr eari\-, as vou will need some of these varieties for the Fall Shows. 



Wtmm^Watief^ 



50 BARCLAY ST. 

 NEW YORK 



