APRIL 1, 1916 



279 



the tangle of these vines, all a mass . of 

 bloom, and the perfume of the flowers can 

 be smelled for many yards. 



I have never failed in getting two crops 

 of Japanese buckwheat from the same land 

 each year. I get from ten to fifteen bushels 

 per acre at each crop. I had the third crop 

 in full bloom when our first hard freeze 



came last fall. If the first crop fails to 

 mature, or if it blasts, as it often does, I 

 plow it under and smooth the land down. 

 I always plow under more than enough seed 

 to reseed the second crop. Buckwheat plow- 

 ed under makes a fine fertilizer, and gets the 

 land in fine condition for a meadow. 

 Verona, Mo. 



DO BEES PREVENT DAMAGE TO FRUIT-TREES BY FROST? 



BY G. W. ADAMS 



There has come to my knowledge a matter 

 concerning the fertilization of fruit by bees 

 which I have never seen touched upon, but 

 which, if true, is of gTeat importance. 



Here is the claim, and it is made with a 

 good deal of confidence after several seasons 

 of careful observation, and on a rather large 

 scale. Bees will, to a very considerable 

 extent, prevent damage by spring frosts. 

 The experiment has been mostly ■wi|;h peach, 

 but applies to all blossoms. 



The large orchard I have in mind was 

 greatly damaged about one year in three, 

 and to some extent every year. An apiary 

 was established, and in a three-year test 

 there has been no appreciable loss, altho 

 the frosts have been (as proven by a local 

 weather-bureau station) fully as late and 

 severe. 



Two reasons for this appear at once. 



1. Every day, before the chill of evening 

 arrives, the ripe blossom is fertilized, and 

 the life processes transferred from the ex- 

 tremely delicate and exposed parts of the 

 blossom to the protected ovary which is 

 sheltered and closely covered in the base. 



2. From the observation and study of 

 vegetable temperature, we get evidence that 

 there is a slight development of heat accom- 

 panying these vital processes. A careful 

 and technical study of this will show its 

 importance more fully. 



I think no fruit-grower who has observed 

 with care will dispute that most fruit dam- 

 age by cold is to the open blossom, the 

 freezing of the bud being the less common ; 

 and if the bees will protect us from this as 

 well as by their prompt action, lessening the 

 loss by heavy rains, we should realize and 

 appreciate it. 



Rowley, Mass. 



[Several times there have appeared state- 

 ments to the effect that, when proper and 

 complete pollination takes place, the ordi- 

 nary light frosts of the spring will do little 

 or no damage. Prof. F. A. Waugh, author 

 of numerous books on fruit culture, and 

 probably as good an authority as there is 

 in the United States, to whom this was for- 

 warded, makes the following reply : — -Ed.] 



Mr. E. R. Root:— The letter from Mr. 

 Adams is very interesting. I have never 

 heard this claim made before, and of course 

 do not know of any practical or scientific 

 observations bearing on it. It is true, of 

 course, as a general statement, that bees 

 assist very materially in the pollination of 

 fruit-blossoms; and in critical times, such as 

 partial damage by frost, this assistance would 

 count for a good deal. Aside from this in- 

 direct and wholly problematic assistance, 

 it is diflScult to see how the bees could 

 accomplish the results claimed. 



Amherst, Mass. F. A. Waugh. 



MANY A BEEKEEPER CAN MAKE HIS OWN HIVES 



BY E. E. COLIEN 



The article by Lewis L. Winship, page 

 1022, Dee. 15, contains some rather exag- 

 gerated statements. His illogical expres- 

 sions, such as "the average home-made hives 

 are fit for nothing so much as kindling- 

 wood," invite contradiction. 



In defense of the home-made goods, and 

 of the ability of the ordinary workman to 

 produce an article in every way as good as 

 the factory-made, I herewith ])resent a pic- 

 ture of one of my own make of hi\e.s and 



supers. Mr. Winship admits that a few 

 beekeepers can make their own hives, but 

 charges that they usually try to economize 

 in every possible way; and the hive, when 

 finished, usually looks like the one in his 

 illustration. He says, further on, that " the 

 hive shown is better than the average run of 

 home-made hives, and you must be quite a 

 carpenter to make one as good." 



I deny his theory, and call attention to 

 the hive herewith presented in refutation of 



