70 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [P. D. 4. 



the blooming period. The result was that during the summer 

 only those trees that were in the immediate vicinity of the 

 hives yielded a good crop; and those trees directly over the 

 hives had the best yield. It had been so cold that the bees 

 could fly only short distances in blooming time; from this it is 

 very evident that the trees that the bees could reach were the 

 only ones that had any fruit of any consequence. 



In one of my western trips I learned that there was in the 

 Pejario valley, near San Jose, a 15,000-acre apple orchard where 

 it was said there were no bees, and no bees needed. This was 

 news to me. I made an investigation and found bees in the 

 vicinity, but probably not enough to pollinate the entire 15,000 

 acres. I called on the horticulturist, and asked him why he 

 did not have more bees. His answer was somewhat significant. 

 He said: "Mr. Root, the two varieties of apples we grow here are 

 the Downing and the Belleflower. They are fertile to their own 

 pollen and therefore we do not need any bees." Then he 

 added: "If we were to put bees in the locality the trees would 

 be broken down by the weight of the fruit. We have to hand- 

 pick as it is, because so many apples start. If we put bees 

 here, there would be too many apples," 



Most of the varieties of apples, at least some of the finer 

 ones, are either partially sterile to their own pollen or are 

 entirely so. Where this occurs bees are needed to fertilize the 

 blossoms. The result is that the fruit growers all over the 

 United States are asking for bees. In many cases they are 

 willing to pay a bonus to get the bees in their orchards. Bees 

 are being shipped every spring from the southern States to the 

 northern orchards to pollinate the fruit trees. Sometimes they 

 come in car lots, and at other times they are sent in packages 

 of 1, 2 and 3 pounds by express. 



What is true of the northern fruit orchards is true to a 

 lesser extent with the citrus orchards of the southland. Fewer 

 bees are needed in an orange grove because the weather is 

 warm and the period of blooming longer. In the northern 

 orchards the work of pollinization must be done in a few hours, 

 or at most in two or three days, hence more bees are required 

 per acre. 



Some twenty-five years ago I gave an address before the 



