STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 173 



cost of the small apiary is infinitesimal as compared with the 

 possible benefits and returns. 



It should also be remembered that during fruit bloom, particu- 

 larly, weather conditions often prohibit free flight of bees, hence 

 they should be near at hand to perform their service. Numer- 

 ous observations are on record in which orchards were suc- 

 cessfully fertilized when the bees had less than a quarter of a 

 mile to fly, while more distant orchards bore no crops. Thus 

 the apiary in or adjacent to an orchard will safeguard failure. 



A question which is frequently asked is, how many colonies 

 of bees are necessary for a given number of mature apple trees 

 or for so many acres of cucumbers, cranberries, raspberries, etc. 

 With respect to the apple, two ratios have been advised. I used 

 to say that for each 50 bearing apple trees, the services of one 

 colony of bees is recommended. Within a year, I have talked 

 with large fruit growers in Ontario and elsewhere, who assure 

 me that I am quite wrong, and who recommend the provision 

 of one colony of bees for every 25 fruiting apple trees. This 

 recommendation is made with the idea of keeping up that efiici- 

 ency curve already spoken of, so that in the blooming period of 

 the fruit orchard there will be available a sufflciency of bees to 

 successfully pollinize the blossoms. As is said above, it is far 

 better to flood the orchard with bees during the blooming period 

 than to have a scarcity. 



In summarizing, an horticulturist or orchardist may fertilize 

 soil, cultivate, prune, thin, spray and do all those things which 

 modern practice advocates, yet, without this agent, the honey- 

 bee, to transfer the pollen from stamen to pistil, the results may 

 be nothing. It is a matter of assurance or insurance and pro- 

 tection. It is a shght expenditure in comparison to the possi- 

 ble and probable returns. 



THE MANIPULATION OF BEES. 



It is not possible in a few moments to make bee keepers of 

 each of you, but it is possible to throw out a few suggestions 

 for manipulation and procedure which are so fundamental that 

 they apply not only to the one who is a prospective bee keeper, 

 but to the bee keeper of experience as well. People sometimes 

 regard the bee man who seemingly handles his bees with per- 

 fect impunity, as a trifle abnormal or perhaps as one who pos- 



