BEES IN HORTICULTURE 



BEET 



467 



It should also be remembered that during fruit- 

 bloom particularly, weather conditions often prohibit 

 free flight of bees. Hence they should be near at hand 

 to perform their service. Numerous observations are 

 on record in which orchards were successfully 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 specific instance of the importance of bees to the 

 practical orchardist, is shown in an observation on two 

 orchards of about equal acreage in a western "pocket" 

 in the foothills of an admirable fruit land, well drained 

 and protected from frost. One grower secured large 

 crops, while his neighbor secured none, although his 

 fruit trees were of the same age and blossomed heavily 

 each spring. The owner, in despair of financial ruin, 

 called for assistance upon the State Experiment Station. 

 A specialist, who was a pomologist and entomologist, 

 investigated the two entirely comparable orchards, but 

 was about to return without solving the problem when 

 the question of bees arose. Upon inquiry it was asserted 

 that no bees had been maintained for either orchard. 

 Going over the ground more carefully, however, the 

 speciali-st found in a neglected comer of the fruiting 

 orchard, a fallen log partially sunken in the damp 

 land. This sheltered a very large colony of bees; to it is 

 attributed the success of the orchard. The following 

 season bees were pro\nded in the orchard which had 

 pre\-iously failed, with the result that the owner netted 

 83,800 on his crop. 



Special services of bees. 



Various fruits. — The honey-bee has been known to 

 work the strawberry although it does not always fre- 

 quent it. There is, however, a particular affinity in the 

 raspberry for bees. One of the sources of the finest 

 honey is the wild raspberry. The blackberry is less 

 frequently' visited. Plums benefit materially. 



Cranberry. — Recentl}' investigations have shown the 

 bees to be of prime importance in the setting of cran- 

 berries. In cranberry-growing in Massachusetts, own- 

 ers are maintaining their own apiaries. It may be 

 desirable to have one colony for every two acres. The 

 growers of melons use colonies of bees on their planta- 

 tions with most marked success. Similarly, cucumber- 

 growers for pickling-houses and squash-growers regu- 

 larly maintain bees. General market-gardeners also 

 believe in the benefits derived. 



Apple and peach orchards. — .\pple and pear crops as 

 well as peach and plum arc, without doubt, more even, 

 larger and more constant when bees are kept. In Ver- 

 mont it has recently been noticed that the largest apple 

 crops occur in the vicinity of the commercial apiaries. 

 It is fast becoming the custom among commercial 

 growers to maintain their own apiaries adjacent to or 

 in their orchards. Some advocate a colony of bees for 

 every fifty trees. 



In greenhoiuses. — For the fertilization of vegetables 

 and fruits in greenhouses, bees are of material service, 

 having largely done away with the use of the camel's- 

 hair brush, impossible for commercial growers. For 

 example, in Massachusetts, one grower of greenhouse 

 cucumbers uses upwards of eighty colonies a j'ear. The 

 total number used annually in the state by greenhou.se 

 cucumber-growers exceeds 2,000 colonies. It is believed 

 by some that tomatoes in the greenhouse benefit to 

 some extent by the service of bees. 



The alleged injury la fruit by bees. 



Occasionally it is alleged that bees damage an 

 orchard. It might be concluded when bees are seen 

 upon peaches, grapes or pears, sucking al the flesh, that 

 the bee is injurious. On the other hand if this act could 

 have been traced, it would have been found that some- 

 thing other than a bee had first pierced the skin of the 

 fruit. Investigation shows that wasps and birds do this. 



or that a fungus may disintegrate the skin. In some 

 such break in the skin the honey-bee can make a start; 

 but to the satisfaction of all beekeepers and most 

 orchardists, it has been proved by experiments and 

 demonstrations that the honey-bee is physically incap- 

 able of puncturing a sound fruit. Thus, the injury by 

 bees to fruit is a misconception; the news should be 

 spread by successful orchardists. 



Securing of 6ee.s. 



Bees are available to horticulturists in several ways. 

 A small number of colonies is sometimes hired for a 

 period of a few weeks, during the blossoming period of 

 the crop. Growers occasionally induce beekeepers to 

 establish an apiary in their orchards by granting them 

 privileges. Bee-keepers sometimes approach orchardists 

 for the location of the apiary. The more thoughtful 

 grower, however, considers it advisable to own his bees. 

 These he maintains himself or hires kept by a practical 

 apiarist. The practice is growing in favor, especially 

 among moderate-sized orchardists or cranberry-grow- 

 ers, of hiring a practical apiarist to maintain the 

 colonies on several adjacent farms. This cooperative 

 plan insures a maximum efficiency of the colonies at a 

 minimvim cost and without burdening the horticul- 

 turist with additional detail. Those who use bees ;in 



498. Hypothetical curve illustrating the fluctuation of 

 "^ wild-bee life, their periods of *'ups" and "downs." Dotted 

 line illustrates high efficiency secured by maintaining an apiaiy. 



greenhouses ^nll find it advantageous to maintain 

 colonies rather than to purchase annually. 



In buying bees it is particularly essential to secure 

 disease-free stock. Bees are subject to at least two 

 prevalent diseases, known as ''American foul brood" 

 and "European foul brood," to which they succumb 

 rapidl}'. The inexperienced, therefore, should secure 

 information and ascertain that the bees have been 

 inspected for disease, when this is possible. Should 

 disea.se set in, a considerable loss, both in bees and to 

 the orchard, might result in a short time. Information 

 concerning diseases can usually be had through the 

 experiment stations or agricultural colleges as well as 

 the United States Department of Agriculture. 



Manipulation of bees. 



There are numerous books and bulletins upon the 

 manipulation of colonies. A few fundamental features 

 are: Always keep the colonics strong; secure an amiable 

 race so that the bees may be handled agreeably; keep 

 the colonies in hives from which the combs may be 

 removed; eliminate swarming; give adequate pro- 

 tection in winter; feed when necessary. 



If the inexperienced grower is to manipulate his own 

 bees, it is advised that he begin with a small number of 

 colonies, say not more than five. 



If the bee-moth becomes prevalent in the hive, it is 

 a sign that something is radically WTong with the 

 colony. An experienced apiary inspector always sus- 

 pects the presence of disease when moths are found. 



Burton N. Gates. 



BEET. .\ set of garden vegetables, grown for the 

 fleshy roots and a few sorts for the thickened midribs; 

 and some kinds in the ornamental garden for the highly 

 colored foliage. 



There are 4 or .") species of the genus Beta, which are 



