298 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1945 



to 1 on the alfalfa. Under such circumstances it is almost impossible 

 to produce a crop of alfalfa seed, since every tiny blossom of alfalfa 

 must be visited by an insect if seed is to result. 



Neither farmers nor agricultural experts have paid much attention 

 to how the growing of one crop in proximity to another affects the 

 activities of pollinating insects. Sometimes the natural flora is more 

 attractive to bees than are the cultivated crops. Under such circum- 

 stances the farmer is bound to reap a thin harvest. 



Is there any remedy for this? More attention can be paid to the 

 sequence in planting crops that compete for the visitation of pollinat- 

 ing insects. Plant breeders could well afford to give consideration 

 to breeding for factors that make plants more attractive to insects. 

 Farmers can also leave protective nesting sites for the wild pollinating 

 insects. They can keep bees of their own or, better still, encourage 

 beekeepers to establish permanent apiaries within flight range of their 

 fields. 



Bumblebees are among the most efficient of all pollinating insects. 

 With their long tongues, considerably longer than those of honeybees, 

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

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

 culty. Bumblebees are not so plentiful as they used to be. The use 

 of insecticides and other farming practices threatens to extinguish 

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

 to fight bumblebees 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 who can contribute so significantly to bumper crops 

 of clover seed, fruit, and melons ? 



By and large the most immediate remedy for inadequate pollination 

 is through the intelligent use of honeybees. This is the only pollinat- 

 ing 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. What 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 crops, surely they would 

 welcome beekeepers with open arms. That day must come ! 



