THE HONEY BEE — HAMBLETON 467 



There was a time when beekeeping was thought of simply in terms 

 of honey produced, but times liave changed. Beekeeping now has a 

 much more important part to play. The value of bees as agents of 

 cross-pollination far outweighs the monetary value of the annual out- 

 put of honey and beeswax. 



Why do we hear so much about pollination these days? Is it a 

 new fad or fancy, or is there some basic reason for emphasizing this 

 subject? In grandfather's day and before his time this subject was 

 seldom mentioned. The land was rich; there was little soil erosion, 

 and for the most part the production of farm crops was satisfactory. 

 As demands for agricultural products increased, fanning operations 

 enlarged, and with this came many new problems, one of which was 

 pollination. 



Sex plays as important a part in the plant kingdom as it does in the 

 animal kingdom, but in a less obvious manner. Many plants contain 

 both the male and the female elements on the same plant. This is true 

 of all the grasses. Corn, wheat, barley, rye, oats, Kentucky bluegrass, 

 and other grasses all belong to the great grass family. Pollen from 

 the male part of the plant must come in contact with the female ele- 

 ment if seed is to result. The corn tassel bears the male element which 

 is the source of millions of tiny pollen grains. The long fine silks 

 which protrude from the ends of an ear of corn are a part of the female 

 element, one silk being attached to each newly formed grain. For this 

 to develop to full size it is essential that a grain of pollen come in con- 

 tact with the end of each silk. When this happens, the pollen germi- 

 nates and sends a long tube down throughout the length of the silk 

 through which the male germ migrates and eventually unites with tlie 

 female cell. Without this union the ear of corn would be abortive 

 and produce only a misshapen naked cob. 



Because of the extraordinary number of pollen grains, it has been 

 estimated that an acre of corn will produce in the neighborhood of 

 300 pounds of pollen. There is more than enough to go around, so 

 that each strand of silk is assured its grain of pollen. Grass pollen 

 is light in w^eight, easily blown about and carried by wind currents. 

 All grasses are wind pollinated. 



Let us look at another kind of plant — one with a more conspicuous 

 flower than is usually found in the grasses — an apple tree for example. 

 Each apple blossom contains both the male and the female element. 

 For an apple to become fully developed and symmetrical in shape, 

 enough pollen grains must be deposited on the stigmas of the flower 

 to ensure the normal growth of the full complement of embryonic 

 seeds. When insect damage is not a factor, insufficient pollination re- 

 sults in a misshapen and lopsided fruit. Most varieties of apple, 

 however, like many other flowering plants, will not produce seed or 



