GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



228 



306 of the Uuiversity of California, Profes- 

 sor Tufts has shown that all varieties of 

 almonds are self-sterile. He recommends in- 

 terplanting proper varieties and the use of 

 one colony of bees per acre. In bulletin 307 

 he makes the same recommendation for 

 pears. In various parts of the United States 

 apples have been greatly aided in_ setting 

 crop with bees, because so many varieties of 

 the fruit are self -sterile. Likewise, cherry 

 varieties, as shown by work in Oregon, Ida- 

 ho and California, are all self -sterile. The 

 writer has observed many demonstrations of 

 the value of bees in cherry orchards where 

 there was formerly almost no crop. Japa- 

 nese plums are likewise self -sterile with but 

 few exceptions and are in great need of 

 effective cross-pollination. The same is true 

 of most European plums. Among prunes 

 two well-known varieties are self-sterile and 

 two are self-fertile. The results, as reported 

 in bulletin 294 of the California Experiment 

 Station, show that the Imperial prune, long 

 notorious as a shy bearer, is wonderfully 

 benefited by bees; and even the French 

 prune, long known as a consistent bearer, is 

 caused to produce larger crops by these 

 same insects. In other sections bees are 

 helpful in producing different crops. It is 

 reported that cranberry yields are greatly 

 increased by the use of bees, and their impor- 

 tance in growing tomatoes and cucumbers 

 under glass is well known. 



On the other hand apricots, according to 

 some observers, are pollinated with their 

 own pollen before or soon after the blossom 

 opens. It is also known that they are self- 

 fertile and able to set fruit with their own 

 pollen. Whether bees would aid this fruit 

 or not is a question that has not been an- 

 swered as yet. The same situation exists 

 with many varieties of peaches. The flower 

 is so constructed that self-pollination may 

 take place easily. The writer has also ob- 

 served that the peach flowers are very at- 

 tractive to bees and are visited by them in 

 great numbers. What effect the work of 

 bees may have on this fruit is not known; 

 but most certainly there seems little cause 

 for worry, as great plantings of a single 

 variety of this fruit are known to produce 

 regularly and abundantly. 



The importance of the element of time, 

 as previously mentioned in pollination of 

 fioAvers, cannot be overestimated. Distribu- 

 tion of pollen for a given variety must be 

 made in a very few days. If delayed, lack 

 of set may result for the reason already ex- 

 plained. It is in this case that the bee is 

 especially valuable. Other insects might 

 succeed in visiting every flower if given 

 time enough; but the bees, due to their un- 

 tiring efforts, seem to accomplish this work 

 in the shortest possible time. The conse- 

 quent mixing and distribution of pollen, as 

 soon as the pistil is ready to receive it, is 

 the thing that makes for big production. 

 Large numbers of bees are needed in cloudy 



April, 1922 



or wet and rainy seasons where every hour 

 of sunshine counts. 



Preference Shown by Bees. 

 Bees have preference for particular varie- 

 ties. Some kinds are accepted until others 

 open, when the former are deserted. There 

 are not many data on this point, and it is 

 of more concern to the grower than to the 

 beekeeper. It has been reported that in 

 some sections bees have been observed to 

 desert cherries for apples. In my own ex- 

 perience I have observed that early Japa- 

 nese plums are not visited as frequently as 

 the later varieties. For example, Formosa 

 and Gaviota are both shunned when the 

 European kinds begin to open. Scanty pro- 

 duction of pollen and honey in these two 

 varieties may be the cause. Bees are said 

 to work satisfactorily on strawberries and 

 are especially fond of raspberries. In Cali- 

 fornia, because of their long blooming sea- 

 son, the latter fruits are of considerable 

 value as honey plants. 



Some growers have their own bees, but 

 most prefer to rent for the season. The 

 rental is usually made with the understand- 

 ing that the owner is to place the bees 

 where desired and to remove them promptly 

 after blossoming season in order not to in- 

 terfere Avith other orchard operations. The 

 best method of distribution is to place the 

 hives singly throughout the orchard. This 

 method insures a more even set of fruit 

 than is the case where 10 or 20 colonies are 

 all put in one place. It is also well to put the 

 hives near the center of the orchard, so the 

 bees will work near at home as much as 

 possible. The average grower is not altru- 

 istic to the extent of paying for an increase 

 in his neighbor's crop. Ordinarily about one 

 hive to the acre should be sufficient, although 

 excellent results have been obtained when 

 fewer Avere used. 



Increased Yield Due to Bees. 

 Noticeable increases in yield have invari- 

 ably followed the use of bees. What these 

 increases are in actual figures is hard to 

 secure. The average grower knoAvs he har- 

 vested a larger crop than he did before, and 

 that is about all. One ■ or tAVO examples, 

 however, will suffice. In 1916 one grower 

 with 180 acres of prunes produced 344 tons 

 of dried fruit. The folloAving year when 

 115 colonies of bees Avere used the crop was 

 432 tons, an increase of nearly 100 tons. An- 

 other groAver on seven acres of cherries with 

 17 tons in 1918 raised his yield to 52 tons 

 in 1920 and to 49 tons in 1921 by the use of 

 10 colonies. Other groAvers have undoubt- 

 edly had similar experience elsewhere. 

 Quality of Cross-Fertilized Fruit. 

 Witli most of stone fruits there is no out- 

 ward sign shoAviiig AA^hether the fruit has 

 been properly fertilized or not. If the fruit 

 matures and ripens it is usually considered 

 to have been fertilized, altho no one ever 

 thinks of cracking the pit to see if the ker- 



