29 



As to apples or peaches or plums I don't doubt that they 

 are instrumental and of use in aiding under certain condi- 

 tions, when the weather is right; they might get a little on 

 them, some of the pollen stuck to their legs; but they 

 don't work when the weather is unfavorable very much. 

 They do sometimes and I don't doubt that they do some 

 good, but to say that we are dependent upon the bee or in- 

 sect for fertilization I doubt very much. I believe, as Mr. 

 Race does, that the pollen is floating through the air. We 

 know that it is imperceptible, but it is there and it is do- 

 ing its good. 



Dr. Gates. In regard to the fertilizing of clover I 

 don't suppose that an.y insect would be necessary for fer- 

 tilizing it much longer. AVe have got something better; we 

 have got a machine now to fertilize clover, so that we need- 

 n't worry about that. We can set our clover seed bj' mach- 

 inery. That is one of the latest improvements. 



In regard to the fertilization of cucumbers I want to 

 say that I have personally bagged cucumbers over and over 

 again with a paper bag or other bag- which will keep out in- 

 sects, and I have had the cucumbers blossom and the fruit 

 drop off almost before the petals opened ; while those blos- 

 soms which were artifieally fertilized, either by hand or by 

 bees, and then bagged, fruit perfectly. I think, too, that 

 under some circumstances the English variety of cucumber 

 is self-fertilizing; that is, fertilized from its own pollen. I 

 haen't seen that; that is merely from hearsay, but if there 

 is a chance of cucumbers fertilizing without the agency of 

 bees it is this English variety. 



Also in regard to the question of why bees go to the 

 flowers and take away the sweet, it is pretty fortunate that 

 we have sweets in the flower. If it were not for the fact that 

 it is there the bees wouldn't bother them very much. That 

 is the bait put there for the purpose to attract the bees 

 and other insects to the flowers ; so that while they are 

 s^^paling this nectar as the gentleman says, taking it away 

 fr themselves, getting tangled up in the pollen, on their 

 visits to olher blossoms they deposit some other pollen, 

 which accomplishes the growth. If it were not for this 

 nectar the bees would probably disregard them and stay 

 away. 



If there is any question in the mind of some of those 

 here as to the process of fertilization I may say that the 



