696 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



large insect that could pollinate the 

 flowers. We have noted that Prof. 

 Bailey and Mr. Waite both emphasize 

 the importance of the honey-bee in this 

 necessary process of cross-pollination. 

 For about two weeks the past season, 

 one of our largest and most beautiful 

 sphinx moths, Deilephila lineata, was 

 exceedingly common. These humming- 

 bird moths are very quick and active, 

 and it is not uncommon to see great 

 loads of pollen on their long tongues, so 

 they must do valuable service in cross- 

 pollination. There were several species 

 of wild bees, Bombus, Xylocopa, An- 

 drena, Helictus, etc., and a few species 

 of Noctuid moths. But with the large 

 and numerous orchards of this regions, 

 and in all the fruit sections of Califor- 

 nia, it is necessary to take action to sup- 

 plement the good work of other nectar- 

 loving insects with that of the more 

 numerous and efficient honey-bees. All 

 other insects are sure to be fitful ; they 

 may be present in swarms one season, 

 and nearly or quite absent the next, 

 while here in California there need 

 never be, should never be, a scarcity of 

 honey-bees close by — I should say with- 

 in one mile — not two or three, as does 

 Mr. Waite. 



Bees do not succumb to the California 

 winters as they do to those in the East ; 

 and so they will always be out in force 

 in the early spring when the fruit-trees 

 fling out their myriads of beautiful sig- 

 nals to attract laborers which they ever 

 stand ready to recompense liberally for 

 service done. 



The experiments of Mr. Fairchild at 

 Geneva, N. Y., who applied spray con- 

 tinuously to blossoms, show that too 

 much wet prevents pollination. The ex- 

 periments of Dr. B. D. Halsted, of New 

 Jersey (Report of New Jersey Station, 

 1889), proved that pollen continuously 

 wet is impotent. As pollen grows in 

 water, is it not probable that these fail- 

 ures resulted from the fact that the wet 

 pollen cannot reach the seed bed ; the 

 stigma ? Rains may wash the pollen 

 off, or prevent its reaching the stigma 

 in condition to grow, but, I take it, that 

 here in California either event will be 

 the rare exception. The foliage stands 

 as a huge umbrella to prevent the wash- 

 ing which can occur only in very severe 

 rains, and heavy rains are too infrequent 

 to prevent the' transfer of dry and suita- 

 ble pollen at some period of bloom. So 

 the most we may fear from rains is that 

 they may shut the bees in the hives. 



□ Cold winds and rains may work such 

 mischief, occasionally, to a limited ex- 



tent, even in this favored region, though 

 the long season of bloom makes even 

 such partial disaster unlikely. Abun- 

 dant bees close at hand, with wind- 

 screens to favor flight, will make them 

 exceedingly rare and improbable. We 

 all know that too heavy bearing is not 

 desirable, and I believe that the weather 

 will nearly always permit enough visits 

 of bees, if we encourage their visits as 

 suggested as above, to secure as much 

 fruit every season as will be desirable 

 and profitable. 



We need more of such experimenta- 

 tion in Southern California. But we 

 may wisely urge even now the setting 

 of mixed varieties of our various fruits, 

 and those that blossom at the same time, 

 in contiguous rows, or, at least, near 

 together, and that a good apiary be 

 within a mile of every large orchard. If 

 we observe these precautions, and care 

 well for our orchards, that the trees 

 may be kept in full strength and vigor, 

 I am persuaded that in this land of 

 warmth, sunshine, and exceeding fer- 

 tility, we may reasonably expect a full 

 crop of fruit each season. 



Claremont, Calif. 



COWYENTION DIRECTORY. 



Time and place of meeting. 



1894. 

 June 15, 16.— Eastern Kansas, at Bronson. 

 J. C. Balch, Sec, Bronson, Kans. 



Aug.16.— East Tennessee, at Whitesburg.Tenn 

 H. F. Coleman, See., Sneedville, Tenn. 

 1895. 

 Feb. 8, 9.— Wisconsin, at Madison, Wis. 



J. W. Vance, Cor. Sec, Madison, Wis. 



It^~ In order to have this table complete, 

 Secretaries are requested to forward full 

 particulars of the time and the place of 

 each future meeting. — The Editor. 



North American Bee-Keepers' Association 



PRES.T-Emerson T. Abbott St. Joseph, Mo. 



Vice-Pres.— O. L. Hershiser Buffalo, N. Y. 



Secretary— Frank Benton, Washington, D. C. 

 Treasurer— George W. york...Chlcao'o, Ills. 



National Bee-Keepers' Union. 



President— Hon. R. L. Taylor . . Lapeer, Mich. 

 Gen'l Manager— T. G. Newman. Chicago, 111. 

 147 South Western Avenue. 



One-Cent I»ostage Stamps we 



prefer whenever it is necessary to send 

 stamps for fractions of a dollar. By re- 

 membering this, you will greatly oblige us. 



