1910 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



221 



sure cross-pollination. While this experi- 

 ment demonstrated the fact that bees will 

 visit trees when the floral part of the blos- 

 som is removed, they are not attracted in 

 sufficient numbers to insure perfect pollin- 

 ation. It is apparent that the showy petals 

 of the blossoms aid materially in attracting 

 the bees. The blossom is well suppHed with 

 nectar, and the open character of the necta- 

 ry makes it accessible to almost all insects. 

 The bees, in trying to reach the nectar, 

 brush against the anthers and carry away 

 with them on their hairy legs and abdomen 

 large quantities of pollen. The insects in 

 visiting other blossoms transfer some of the 

 foreign pollen to these pistils. Since the 

 wind aids so little in cross-pollination it is 

 evident that the various insects, especially 

 the bees, are carriers of pollen. 



As the assurance of a crop depends upon 

 insects as distributors of the pollen, it is 

 necessary that apiaries be established in the 

 different fruit sections. With favorable cli- 

 matic conditions and proper planting of va- 

 rieties the bees would insure pollination. 



SELF- STERILE AND SELF-FERTILE VARIETIES. 



A knowledge of the sterile and fertile va- 

 rieties is essential in pollination work before 

 any definite investigations can be conduct- 

 ed. A sterile variety is one that will not fer- 

 tilize its ovule with its own pollen, while a 

 fertile variety is one that will perform this 

 function. Since investigators have found 

 that climatic conditions influence greatly the 

 sterility and fertility of a variety, it is doubly 

 important that this experiment be demon- 

 strated in every locality, especially when a 

 wide variance is found in the climate. East- 

 ern conditions are hardly applicable to those 

 found in the West. 



The method usually followed to ascertain 

 this question was to inclose the blossoms in 

 cloth or manilla bags before they opened, 

 thus removing all danger of foreign pollen 

 from insect visitation. After blossoms open 

 and the anthers expand, the pollen is scat- 

 tered on the several stigmas; and if the 

 blossoms set fruit it is evident that the vari- 

 ety is self fertile; but, on the other hand, if 

 the pistil shrivels and dries up it is sufficient 

 evidence that the variety is self -sterile. For 

 this experiment it is very important that the 

 right branches be selected. Ontside branch- 

 es should be chosen, as they are more favor- 

 ably situated. In every case all the open 

 blossoms should be removed before sacking. 

 Too much stress can not be placed upon this 

 important question if accurate results are to 

 be realized. 



In 1907 three grades of bags were used, 

 namely, the manilla paper bag, the fine and 

 the coarse cheese-cloth bags. Since inclos- 

 ing blossoms in bags is subjec:jing them to 

 unnatural conditions, these three styles 

 were selected in order to detect, if possible, 

 any difference that might arise in the set- 

 ting of fruits. As the eifectiveness of the 

 three bags was the same, in 1908 we con- 

 fined ourselves to the manilla bags. — Better 

 Fruit. 



BEE-KEEPING IN HAWAII. 



BY ALBERT F. JUDD, 



President of the Hawaiian Bee-keepers' Association. 



Bee-keeping in Hawaii can not be under- 

 stood without appreciating some geographi- 

 cal facts. Hawaii is north of the equator. It 

 is a full-fledged organized territory of the 

 United States, and consists of eight inhabited 

 islands. It is just as much a part of the Unit- 

 ed States, so far as the laws go, as the Terri- 

 tory of New Mexico or Arizona. It is a white 

 man's country, although the majority of res- 

 idents are Chinese and Japanese. In area 

 the islands equal approximately the area of 

 Connecticut. We have two mountains on 

 the large island of Hawaii (from which the 

 group takes its name) each of which is very 

 nearly 14,000 feet high. We have all degrees 

 of climate except the intensely hot climate 

 of the pure tropics. A glance at the map 

 will show that the islands are close to the 

 Tropic of Cancer. The cool ocean currents 

 from the Pacific Coast, with the northeast 

 trade winds, make the climate never oppres- 

 sive, even at sea-level. 



The first honey-bees were introduced intO" 

 the islands in 1857. In the '90's, beekeep- 

 ing began as an industry. Its beginning was- 

 slow, and it was not until January, 1907, that 

 the bee-keepers came together and formed 

 the Hawaiian Bee-keepers' Association. Our 

 present membership is thirty- seven, and in- 

 cludes all those engaged in the production 

 of honey and wax for profit, besides others 

 interested in the industry scientifically or for 

 pleasure. 



The honey and wax industry in this Terri- 

 tory is valued at approximately $200,000. 

 About $30,000 worth or honey was produced 

 during 1907, and $6000 worth of wax. We 

 estimate the number of colonies at present 

 in the Territory at 20,000, and it is believed 

 that this number can be doubled. If this is 

 done, the normal honey flow is expected to 

 produce about $100,000 worth of honey and 

 wax. The bee-keepers of Hawaii spend an- 

 nually between $2000 and $3000 for supplies, 

 most, if not all, of which come from the main- 

 land of the United States. 



There is at present in otir association a 

 spirit of cooperation, not only among the 

 members — resulting in an interchange of 

 ideas on the many problems existing in the 

 apiaries and in the marketing of the product 

 — but also between the association and the 

 various officials of the Department of Agri- 

 culture at Washington and the local agricul- 

 tural station under whose jurisdiction mat- 

 ters pertaining to the industry more directly 

 come. 



At the present time the diseases of Ameri- 

 can or European foul brood are not found in 

 the Territory. We have secured protection 

 from the introduction of these diseases by 

 legislation. 



Another work that our association has 

 taken up is the introduction of plants and 

 trees to improve the bee pasturage, and sat- 

 isfactory progress has been made. The food 



