APRIL 15, 1913 



of flowers which, in one climate are infer- 

 tile, becoming fertile in another. It has, 

 moreover, been asserted that in Germany 

 the flowers have the power of self-fertiliza- 

 tion. In experiments made at the Kansas 

 Experiment Station, according to Mr. Ste- 

 vens, plants covered with wire cages pro- 

 duced seed, though at greatly varying rates. 

 But this difference seems to have been due 

 to the character of the plants. There seems, 

 then, good reason to believe that in Amer- 

 ica, at least in the western States, the flow- 

 ers can produce seed, even in the absence 

 of insects. 



Mr. Stevens' article is in the main correct 

 so far as it goes, but he seems not to be 

 familiar with the mechanism of/pollination, 

 nor, as he admits, with the wild bees. The 

 suggestion that there are some unknown 

 factors which are more important than in- 

 sects or self-pollination, if he refers to any 

 thing more than weather or climate, is 

 purely imaginary, and is an unnecessaiy 

 supposition. The fact that the bees made 

 so many visits in an hour would indicate 

 that the flowers contained little or no nec- 

 tar. It would require only a few seconds 

 for a bee to thrust its tongue into the side 

 of a flower, remove it, and pass to another 

 flower. It would be an easy matter to count 

 ten visits per minute, which would give 600 

 for an hour. 



You are entirely correct in supposing 

 that the possession of nectar, color, and 

 odor are invitations given by flowers to in- 

 sects; but the conditions may be modified 

 when the flower is not cultivated in its nat- 

 ural habitat by the characteristics of the 

 insects, etc. John H. Lovell. 



Waldoboro, Maine. 



NATURAL WINDBREAKS THE BEST; BUT 

 THEY CAN NOT ALWAYS BE SECURED 



BY R. F. HOLTERMANN 



On page 181, March 15, it appears to me 

 that Mr. Byer assumes that I said some- 

 thing which I have no intention of claiming. 

 I have not compared the value of fences 

 and natural shelter. There is no compari- 

 son, in my estimation. Natural shelter is 

 desirable — verj^ much so — and I aim to have 

 it wherever I can ; but, after all, the cases 

 where sufficient natural shelter can be se- 

 cured are rare. A gi'eat many people have 

 to keep bees in certain positions from neces- 

 sity, not wish, if they keep them at all ; and 

 the majority of these are not sufficiently 

 sheltered. There are few locations wherein 

 bees are now kept, and where we have a 

 solid winter, to which I would not add a 



fence as before described. A great many 

 may not agi'ee with me about this matter; 

 but' I have tested it sufficiently for my own 

 satisfaction. 



Our bees have wintered well; but sonie, 

 I find, have starved owing to the open win- 

 ter and resultant activity. To date, the 

 least loss in an apiary is none (is that an 

 Irish bull?), and the greatest, ten; the lat- 

 ter mostly stan^ed. This latter was in the 

 most exposed location, so far as natural 

 protection is concerned, but it has a fence 

 about it. Would the loss have been less if 

 the fence had been down! I want both 

 natural and fence protection. 



QUEEXLESS COLONIES GATHERING POLLEN, 



AND STORING IT IN CELLS FORMERLY 



OCCUPIED BY BROOD. 



R. 0. Martin, p. 180, Mar. 15, takes little 

 stock in my argument as to queenless colo- 

 nies gathering pollen because of the amount 

 of pollen I find in the comb. Let me say 

 again that my own eyesight, seeing the bees 

 bring in pollen, is sufficient ; but, more, the 

 pollen stored in the combs is sufficient also. 

 When I find pollen not in the cells about 

 the comb, which is the natural position of 

 brood, but all through the comb, not indi- 

 vidual cells, but many, I am forced to the 

 conclusion that the bees gathered it after 

 the brood hatched from the comb. More, 

 the distinction in this respect is so clear 

 that I have pointed it out time and again 

 (having the combs side by side) to young 

 men learning the business. It is more than 

 likely that, when I get among the bees, I 

 shall find such combs; and if I do I will 

 try to have a photograph taken of them, 

 and send them to Gleanings. 



If the bees can gather pollen after they 

 are queenless and the brood hatched, then 

 they place pollen in sufficient quantities 

 where brood would otherwise be, it clearly 

 indicates that this pollen was gathered after 

 the colony was queenless; and the appear- 

 ance of these combs is a direct contrast to 

 colonies in the same apiary not queenless. 

 In a locality scarce of pollen, these indica- 

 tions may not be so marked; but that has 

 nothing to do with the question as to 

 whether queenless colonies gather or do not 

 gather pollen. 



Brantford, Canada. 



A Correction 



In your editorial, p. 105, Feb. 15, you say, "while 

 timothy hay, the kind referred to." By referring to 

 my communication you will notice the kind of hay 

 used by me was not mentioned, but clover hay, not 

 timothy, was always used, as it is more springy or 

 resilient — at least this is my experience. 



Victoria, B. C. E. E. Robinson. 



