GLKANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Aflniiftiii.i>' dial the bees do .si)ecialize (and 

 thei'o can be no (juesiion on (his point), 

 why do they do it? The sngi>estion has 

 been made that a young bee, when it goes 

 out into the fields, gets into tlie habit of 

 goins.'- to a single species, and it keeps u]) 

 that hal)it so long as that species gives up 

 its (rensuie. I.'ut why should it not take a 

 si)) here out of one blossom and a sip from 

 anolher entirely ditferent species, and thus 

 ha\e a little variety of flavors? The sug- 

 gestion tiiat one bee finds it more conven- 

 ient to work a single plant and another for 

 another because they learn how at the be- 

 ginning, does not altogetliei- satisfy us. Is 

 it not more than likely that the great Crea- 

 tor might plant an instinct that Avorks to 

 the advantage of the insect as well as 

 to the vegetable world? The very fact that 

 one bee gathers only one kind of pollen or 

 nectar on a trip makes it possible for that 

 bee to bring about better pollination among 

 those particular plants than if it worked hit 

 or miss among a dozen ditferent flowers 

 that might be in bloom. Mixed pollen from 

 different species would not pollinate a 

 particular species. For instance, apple-trees, 

 while of all one species are of different va- 

 rieties. In order to get good crops, fruit- 

 growers know that they must mix the vari- 

 eties. The same is also true of pears, 

 peaches, and a great \ariety of stone fruit. 

 The poar-growers know that it is not good 

 practice to put the Bartletts all by them- 

 selves, the Seckels by themselves, and the 

 other varieties bv themselves. There musi 

 be one row in alternation with another in 

 order to get the best results. The same 

 is true of applet and other fruits. The 

 busy bee comes in, and goes from one va- 

 riety to anothei', bringing about cross-pol- 

 linatiott; but bear in mind these apples all 

 belong to the same species. The very fact 

 that the bees follow that habit of working 

 on only one species at a time renders it 

 pos.<=ible for them to cany onlv one kird of 

 pollen at a time, thus bringing about a bi't- 

 ter ]K)llinatioii than if they carried a mixed 

 pollen. 



It cannot he argued tliat the bee has in 

 mind the production of a big api)le cro]) 

 for the benefit of the fruit-grower. Nay. 

 rather, it is concerned only with its own 

 need of supjilying nitiogenous food to its 

 young. Would it not seem then that the 

 allwise Creator liad implanted an instinct by 

 which the bee. for a reason of its own, 

 which we cannot discover, would do the very 

 thing that would help out the plant world at 

 tlie .same time.' 



We find all thi'ougii nature a beautiful 

 harmonv. Sometimes man disturlis that 



hai-inony, with the result that disas!er fol- 

 lows. Orlain plants, by a display of color, 

 nectar, polleti, or all three together, in- 

 vite the attention of certain moths and 

 Imttei-flies. Others seem to attract the dip- 

 tera, or certain flies, while the blossoms of 

 edible fruits and certain grains seem to be 

 especially adapted for supplying bees with 

 a food that they m.ust have. 



Some, perhaps, may doubt whether there 

 is an ''understanding" between tlie animal 

 and vegetable kingdoms, or, to be more si)e- 

 cific, between the bees and the fruit-trees, 

 yet how else can Ave explain this beautiful 

 adaptation unless the allwise Creator has 

 l}i'ought this about in order that his great 

 creation, man, might enjoy the jiroduct of 

 the hive as well as that of the apple-tree? 



There is a beautiful adaptation between 

 bird life and jdant life. Destroy the birds, 

 and our useful plants and trees Avould per- 

 ish from the attacks of injurious insects. 

 Without food for man, he would soon be- 

 com(^ an extinct species along with all other 

 forms of life. If we go into certain locali- 

 ties we see certain birds and certain plants 

 and certain animals all work together in 

 harmony. 



"On one of our western trips we asked 

 why the ranchers did not kill off all the 

 coyotes. They said it was for the simple 

 reason that the coyotes kept down tlie jack 

 rabbits, and the rabbits would be a pest un- 

 less there were something to hold them in 

 check. If the small boy with his toy gun 

 Avere alloAved to shoot birds indiscriminately 

 Ave should soon be overrun Avith certain in- 

 sect pests. 



If we reverse the rule Ave find that if Ave 

 try to gri'OAV more fruit than the natural 

 bees in the avooJs can take care of, much of 

 the fruit Avill not mature. A feAv years 

 ago Avhen cranberries Avere grown in tin; 

 Cape Cod region (about ten or tAventy 

 acres), it was discoA^ered that the big plots 

 Avould not yield in proportion as the small 

 ones did. When bees Avere imported into 

 that locality — enough so that the balance 

 of Nature Avas restored — they could groAv 

 as many ci'anberries per acre in a ten-acre 

 patch as they formerly could on a half-acre. 



Perhaps this may seem like a long di- 

 Acrsion from our original theme; but it 

 only goes to shoAV that the alhvise Creator 

 has brougiit about a Avorking balance; and 

 in order to keep up that Avorking balance 

 bees haA'e been taught to specialize in end- 

 less ages until tlic instinct has been so 

 thoroughly ini|ihu:led tliat it is compelled to 

 biing about perfect ])ollination that could 

 not be accomplished indiscrimina!e!_v in 

 tlieir quest of food for tlieii' young'. 



