472 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1961 



The State of Washington enjoys the highest average per-acre pro- 

 duction of alfalfa seed, often exceeding 400 pounds per acre. There 

 are 200,000 alfalfa seeds per pound. At this rate 1 acre produces 

 80 million seeds. What a tremendous pollination job to obtain this ! 

 With thousands of acres devoted to alfalfa seed it is not strange that 

 there are not enough wild bees to take care of this one crop alone. If 

 a pollinator fails to feed at an alfalfa flower, the blossom holds on 

 hopefully for about 10 days then, barren, it withers and falls off the 

 plant. 



Much the same story applies to red clover and other legumes. A 

 good stand of red clover has enough blossoms to produce 10 or 11 

 bushels of seed per acre. The average annual per-acre yield is around 

 1 bushel. To what extent is inadequate pollination responsible for 

 this low yield ? 



Bumble bees are among the most efficient of all pollinating insects. 

 With their long tongues, considerably longer than those of honey bees, 

 they are especially valuable in the pollination of red clover, which has 

 a deep corolla from which honey bees can obtain nectar only with diffi- 

 culty. Bumble bees are not so plentiful as they once were. The use 

 of insecticides and other farming practices threatens to extinguish 

 these useful insects. It is still the favorite sport of farm boys to 

 fight bumble bees and rob their nests of a few thimblefuls of hard- 

 earned honey. Why must the farmer continue to destroy one of his 

 best allies — one which can contribute so significantly to bumper crops 

 of clover seed, fruit, and melons ? 



The most immediate remedy for inadequate pollination is through 

 intelligent use of honey bees. This is the only pollinating insect that 

 can be moved from place to place and installed in fields when and 

 where they are needed. Unfortunately, most farmers do not want 

 hives of bees on their premises. Once in a while a farm animal or 

 hired hand is stung or the owner himself may be the victim, with 

 the consequence that bees are ordered off the place. Wliat a sad state 

 of affairs it is that beekeepers actually have to pay rental to farmers 

 for small out-of-the-way pieces of land upon which to place their 

 beehives. This is one reason why apiaries are not a common sight 

 as one drives through the country. The beekeeper has to place his 

 hives far from the farm buildings and from good roads. In such 

 locations the hives are subject to pilfering, and it is costly for the 

 beekeeper to manage them properly. If farmers understood the part 

 that bees play in more bountiful fruit and seed crops, surely they 

 would welcome beekeepers with open arms. That day must come ! 



At the moment the important agricultural job of providing polli- 

 nation, inadequate though it may be, is dependent on the market price 

 of honey. Queer relationship indeed ! In volume of business done the 



