rHiRTEEN] SECURING OUR ALLIES 



that yielded hundreds of bushels, the birds also 

 greatly increased, but what they took was no longer 

 missed. I presume they do not get less than five 

 per cent, of the crop. That is about half what I 

 owe them for music alone. I shall always remain 

 a debtor to my catbirds more particularly, and to 

 all other bird visitors. I believe I will leave two 

 more cherry trees uncovered hereafter. 



The bee is another factor of importance in coun- 

 try life. I do not say that every family should, or 

 must have, half a dozen hives of bees, but I believe 

 the number of swarms should average half a dozen 

 to all the households of the community. This is 

 partly for the sake of food — one of the most de- 

 licious and concentrated of all foods — but still 

 more to secure the aid of our little friends in poUen- 

 izing fruit. There are many apples, pears, and 

 other fruits, as we have already seen, that cannot 

 pollenize themselves sufficiently, and some of them 

 not at all. This is a provision of nature to pre- 

 vent uniformity and to secure evolution. Differ- 

 ent varieties must be brought together in marriage, 

 in order to unite their good qualities in children. 



The common brown honey bee is from Germany. 

 The Italian bees have yellow abdominal bands, and 



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