366 Beekeeping 



fruit trees are incapable of self-fertilization, in other cases 

 fertilization is more abundant with cross-pollination and 

 in no case is cross-pollination detrimental. It is therefore 

 evident that successful fruit-growing is dependent on insect 

 visitation. Of all the insects which serve the fruit-grower, 

 there is none more efficient than the honeybee. Further- 

 more, in one important respect the honeybee becomes the 

 most dependable of all. At the season when the fruit trees 

 blossom, insects of the wild species may be scarce, having 

 been decimated by severe winter conditions, and we have 

 no way of increasing their number. While honeybees also 

 suffer, sometimes severely, from winter conditions, it is 

 relatively easy not only to build up the colonies in the early 

 spring but to bring in additional colonies as agents of fertili- 

 zation. It therefore is a simple matter for the fruit-grower 

 to provide insects to fertilize his blossoms, if the weather 

 is suitable for flights during the blooming period. Progres- 

 sive fruit-growers in all parts of the country are coming more 

 and more to realize this and many of them now keep bees 

 solely for the benefits to the fruit crops. 



Since it unfortunately sometimes happens that ignorant 

 or incorrectly informed fruit-growers do considerable injury 

 to colonies of bees in their neighborhood by spraying their 

 trees with poisonous chemicals while in full bloom, it may 

 be well to examine the facts to determine who receives the 

 greatest benefits from the presence of bees in the average 

 farming community. If one examines a fruit tree in full 

 bloom, many species of insects will be found at work on the 

 blossoms, gathering or eating nectar and pollen. These 

 numerous species vary greatly in their efficiency in bring- 

 ing about cross-pollination, and no species is better fitted 

 by structure or behavior for this work than the honeybee. 

 Furthermore, if colonies of bees are to be found near by, as 

 there generally are, there are usually as many honeybees on 

 the trees as there are insects of all other species combined. 

 Insects of many of the visiting species stay only long enough 

 to get sufficient to eat to satisfy their own immediate needs, 



