1898. 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



209 



thought. If we seemingly are unable 

 to secure a large membership in our 

 Union, when the fee is only one dol- 

 lar, annually, how could we expect that 

 very many would unite and hold out in 

 an agreement to dispose of their whole 

 crops of honey through this or any 

 other oganization? The great trouble 

 would be, I would fear, that just 

 enough would remain out to so weaken 

 the effect of the Union's efforts along 

 the line of co-operative marketing that 

 failure would be the result. But per- 

 haps by a thorough system of grading, 

 and the establishment of a high stand- 

 ard of purity and quality of the product 

 put on the market through the Union, 

 ademand could be developed sufficiently 

 l9.rge so as to take all the best honey 

 that the Union could control or obtain. 

 In that case, success could be assured. 



But I am quite willing to leave this 

 whole subject to the wise counsels of 

 the Union's membership— it is too dif- 

 ficult for one small brain to solve satis- 

 fatorily. 



, In conclusion, I desire to express my 

 sincere appreciation of the confidence 

 reposed in me, and of the honor con- 

 ferred upon me, by my re-election to 

 the presidency of this Union at its 

 meeting in Buffalo last year. With a 

 full realization of my inability to do 

 justice to the requirements of the of- 

 fice, yet I have ever endeavored to do 

 what I could to hold up the Union in 

 its grand mission in the interests of 

 bee-keepers; and I trust that I may be 

 soon permitted to welcome my worthy 

 successor, into whose strong hands I 

 will gladly place the work and respon- 

 sibility that accompanies the presiden- 

 tial office. 



Faithfully yours, 

 GEORGE W. YORK, 



Chicago, 111., Sept. 1, 1898. 



Out Debt to Bumblebees. 



Barney Hoskin Standish writes an 

 q,rticle on "The Bumblebee" for St. 

 Nicholas. Mr. Standish says: The work 

 of the bumblebee in bringing about the 

 cross fertilization of flowers is as im- 

 portant as that of the honey bee, and 

 these two stand at the head of the list 

 of Insects useful in this respect. Each 

 has Its flowers which it alone visits, 

 but there are many flowers on neutral 

 ground visited by both. So we may 

 say of the bumblebee, as of the honey 



bee, the more bumblebees the more 

 seeds; the more seeds the more flowers 

 — especially wild flowers, as the tall 

 bellflower, touch-me-not, Solomon's 

 seal, gentian, Dutchmen's breeches and 

 turtle head. But probably the most im- 

 portant work this insect does for agri- 

 culture is upon the fields of red clover. 

 There is abundant proof that this plant 

 will not produce seed without the co- 

 operation of the bumblebee. It is im- 

 possible for the wind to bring about the 

 fertilization of the seed, as it may do 

 in the case of Indian corn, grain and 

 some forest trees. The tube of red clo- 

 ver blossoms, too, is so long that other 

 insects (including the honey bee) are 

 not regular visitants. 



Here is proof that this plant must 

 have visits from the bumblebee. This 

 insect is not a native of Australia, and 

 red clover failed to produce seed there 

 until bumblebees were imported. As 

 soon, as they became numerous the plant 

 could be depended upon for seed. 

 Again, the blosoms of the first crop of 

 the Medium Red clover of our own 

 country are just as perfect as those of 

 the second crop, but there are too fow 

 bumblebees in the field, so early in th'-; 

 season, to produce fertilization, hence 

 little or no seed in this crop. If bumble- 

 bees were sufficiently numerous, there 

 is no reason why much larger yields of 

 clover seed might not be expected than 

 at present. 



Here is what a well informed farmer 

 says about it: 



"It was formerly thought that the 

 world rested on the shoulders of Atlas. 

 I can prove that its prosperity rests on 

 the bumblebee. The world cannot pros- 

 per without the farmers' product. The 

 farm will not be productive without 

 clover. We cannot raise clover without 

 seed, and we cannot have clover seed 

 without the bumblebee, because it is 

 this insect that carries the pollen from 

 flower to flower, securing its develop- 

 ment and continuance. Let us learn to 

 know and to protect our friends,"— Ex. 



