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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



May 1, 1902. 



The Part Bees and Other Insects Play in Fertilii- 

 ini$ Fruit-Tree Bloom. 



BY THADDKUS SMITH. 



SINCE writing- an article on this subject, published in the 

 American Bee Journal of April, 1901, pages 262 and 27'i, 



we have had another season for observation and investi- 

 g-ation: and as I made it my especial business to watch closely 

 the fruit-bloom last May for insects, I propose to give some 

 results of the investigation. 



It is well known to be a fact beyond dispute that certain 

 islands in Lake Erie, where there are no bees kept and bees 

 never visit, produce an abundance of fine fruit. We see 

 here, year after year, full and quite regular crops of fruit of 

 various kinds, grown more uniformly, I believe, than in any 

 other place in the state of Ohio, or of the same latitude. 

 This completely settles the question with myself, and with 

 others who have had personal evidence of the conditions 

 that the bees are in no way necessary, nor of any advantage 

 whatever, in producing a good crop of fruit — not on these 

 islands, at any rate. If not necessary on these islands, why 

 should they be anywhere ? 



This question being settled, the investigation I had to 

 make last season was to try to find out what part, if any, 

 other insects played in fertilizing fruit-bloom. To this 

 end I gave my especial attention, not only here at home but 

 upon other islands where I knew there "were no bees. On 

 May 15 I visited Middle Bass. I found the greatest profu- 

 sion of bloom on many varieties of fruit trees and shrubs. 

 They grow every variety of fruit and berries that can be 

 grown in this latitude. They grow them successfully with- 

 out bees. The friend with whom I stopped said to me : 



" I have been watching the fruit-trees closely for bees 

 and other insects. I have not seen a bee. The only insects 

 seen were on the apricot trees which bloomed a week before 

 the other fruit-trees. They were a peculiar kind of insect 

 that I never saw before, and they soon disappeared. I have 

 been among my trees daily since in bloom, and never saw 

 anything more of this insect upon any other trees, and no 

 other insect of any other kind." 



Such was the testimony of Mr. George M. High. Mr. 

 High is personally known to Prof. A. J. Cook, who will 

 vouch for his intelligence and integrity, and he is known by 

 many other men of prominence who have made his acquain- 

 tance in visiting the summer resorts of these islands, and 

 through business. He is widely known as an intelligent 

 and successful fruit-grower. In company with Mr. High 

 we renewed the search in his orchards with the like results 

 he described. 



I watched very closely the bloom of fruit-trees and vines 

 on my own place. Bees I found, for there are bee-keepers 

 scattered all over the Island. My search was for the " other 

 nectar-loving insects" that we are told do the work of fer- 

 tilizing bloom with the bees or without them. I will not 

 saythat I did not see one single insect on any of the flowers 

 besides the bees, but they were very scarce, and very small, 

 much more so than I expected to find them. There were 

 practically none worth taking into consideration in connec- 

 tion with carrying pollen from one flower to another. It 

 would have been impossible that there were enough to visit 

 one flower in 10,000. It was too early in the season, as has 

 been observed heretofore by Mr. Hershiser, Mr. High, my- 

 self and others, for these nectar-loving or other kinds of in- 

 sects to be out in any numbers to be of benefit in polleniz- 

 ing the bloom. 



In reviewing my former article upon this subject, our 

 erudite friend of the " Afterthoughts," makes the very un- 

 charitable intimation that I was not competent to see in- 

 sects, and my evidence unreliable as to there being no nec- 

 tar-loving insects found upon the fruit-bloom on these 

 islands where are no bees. Mr. Hasty dismisses our testi- 

 mony with a sneer, saying: "It is quite possible that a 

 skilled entomologist with only half an eye, would find nectar- 

 loving insects abnormally thick."' (Italics mine.) And 

 again he says : " Apparently neither himself nor his friend 

 are well-posted in insect lore." Perhaps not. But is it 

 necessary to be " well-posted in insect lore " to see the in- 

 sects when you look carefully for them as we did ? The ex- 

 perience of over a quarter of a century engaged in fruit- 

 culture, where we have to study and combat the many 

 diseases and insects injurious to both trees and fruit, ought 

 somewhat to qualify us to see insects of any kind on the 

 trees, and should entitle our evidence to some respect. No, 

 nectar-loving, nor other kind of insects, are not found thick 

 here, " abnormally " or otherwise, as early in the season as 

 the blooming of fruit-trees. 



Mr. Hasty suggests that there should be a "chance for 

 some friendly hand to show how much better results " could 

 be obtained on these islands with bees. I believe that no 

 intelligent person will claim that bees or other insects can 

 possibly have any influence on the size and quality of fruit. 

 It is only thought by some that bees have something to do 

 with disseminating the pollen, thereby fructifying the sta- 

 mens and giving a better setting of fruit, and a larger crop, 

 than there would be without them. The most kinds of fruit 

 on beeless islands set too much fruit, and it has to be picked 

 off — thinned out — to keep it from being too small. Those 

 that do not require thinning usually set as much as is 

 wanted to give good size and quality. Now, what chance 

 could there be to obtain better results with bees here when 

 we get more fruit set than is wanted ? 



But that " friendly hand" has, incidently, repeatedly 

 tested that very thing by comparing the fruit crops grown 

 on an island with bees, and that grown on a neighboring 

 island without bees. Pelee Island, like its neighbors in this 

 group of islands, is well adapted to fruit-growing, and many 

 colonies of bees are kept upon it, but we know that the fruit 

 crop is no more certain, no larger nor better than our neigh- 

 bors' who are without bees. In fact, there are some incidents 

 that would indicate to a superficial observer that the best 

 crops are grown where there are no bees. For instance, 

 last season I had 60 bearing peach-trees of a certain variety 

 that bloomed profusely but did not set a peach. In visiting 

 my neighbor in October I found that his peach-trees, of the 

 same variety, had produced a good crop, and there were no 

 bees. Now, if this had been the reverse — if the failure had 

 been where there were no bees instead of where bees were 

 plentiful — how quickly the incident would have been used 

 as an argument to show the importance of our little friends 

 in this matter. And this is just like all other arguments 

 used to show that bees increase the fruit crop. The bees 

 have nothing to do with it. 



I would be pleased to have Mr. Hasty investigate to see 

 if insects frequent the bloom here in May in " abnormal 

 numbers ; " and I hereby invite him to come over to Put-in- 

 Bay nest May. [This month. — Ed] and see for himself. 

 There is a steamboat line from Toledo to Put-in-Bay, and it 

 is only a short and pleasant ride. From the Bay he can 

 visit other islands, and I shall be glad to have him visit me 

 on Pelee Island, and I shall take pleasure in meeting him 

 and entertaining him while on our Island, and will do what 

 I can in assisting his investigation. I have no theory that 

 I am wedded to, no " ax to grind," and only seek the truth. 

 If he cannot come let him send some one else who is " well- 

 posted in bee-lore." Not some one with " half an eye," or 

 one eye, but with two good eyes assisted by glasses. 



I have but little hopes of any accepting this invitation. 

 They might learn what they do not wish to know. The old 

 adage, " Convince a man against his will, he will be of the 

 same opinion still," is quite true; and to convince one 

 against his supposed pecuniary interest is still harder. The 

 advocates of this bee-pollenizing theory seem to think that 

 it is of great importance to bees and bee-keepers that its 

 truth should be established, and therefore they are hard to 

 convince otherwise, even when the facts are against them. 

 There should be no antagonism between bee-keepers and 

 fruit-growers. An experience of 40 years in both occupa- 

 tions has convinced me that neither is injured nor benefit- 

 ted by the other — not in my locality. 



Ontario, Canada, Nov. 13, 1901. 



[In the interest of fairness to both sides of this contro- 

 versy we give place to the foregoing article. It should have 

 appeared long ago, but perhaps now it will be just in time 

 for those vcho so desire to make more careful investigation 

 along the line indicated. — Editor.] 



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