HONEY-BEES IN HORTICULTURE 79 



orchard during the blossoming period." Further, "Without the 

 aid of bees or other insects, the set of fruit on the French prune is 

 often Hght." Moreover, "the Imperial does not seem able to set 

 fruit unless pollinated by insects with pollen from the trees." 



As a result of these observations, the author has stated that some 

 growers will maintain their own apiaries, others will hire bees, while 

 still others will give apiary rights in their orchards. The investi- 

 gations and experiments are to be continued.^ 



Cherry. Observations were also made on cherries during 1916, 

 showing that the "leading commercial varieties grow in the State 

 [of California] including Napoleon (Royal Ann), Lambert, Bing, 

 Black Tartarian, and Black Republican are self-sterile. There is 

 also distinct evidence of intersterility between several varieties, 

 for example, Bing and Napoleon. The work has not yet gone far 

 enough to determine the best pollinizers for cherries in this State." 



It has also been reported elsewhere that the owner of a large 

 cherry orchard in California did not harvest any crop for eight 

 successive years. In desperation he was about to dig up his trees 

 when he was advised to introduce bees, with the result that he 

 afterwards sold his cherry crop in the Chicago and New York City 

 markets for $4,000. It is also reported by another Californian 

 that one hundred colonies are necessary for one hundred and forty 

 acres of cherry trees. 



For Massachusetts conditions, everyone who has any familiarity 

 with the pollination of cherry trees, recognizes at once the tre- 

 mendous activities which bees make in our cherry trees while in 

 bloom. The writer on one occasion observed that only that 

 portion of a cherry tree which was sheltered from the west winds 

 by a house, was satisfactorily pollinated and set fruit. There can 

 be little doubt of the importance of honey-bees in cherry pollination. 



Peach. Professor J. W. Crow, of the Ontario Agricultural 

 College, in remarks made in January, 1913, says "that some 

 varieties of peaches are as dependent on bees as are apples." 

 The writer's observation, however, is that bees are less active in 

 blooming peach orchards than they are in many other fruit orchards. 

 This may not be due to the lack of nectar in the peach bloom, but 



' Journal of Heredity, Volume VII, December, 1916, page 545. 



