BEES AS CROSS-FERTILIZERS. 



63 



blossoms. The seed vessel at u shows only an abortive seed, and the 

 side of the fruit nearest this point is also correspondingly undeveloped. 

 This is owing to imperfect or complete lack of fertilization of this 

 carpel, five distinct fertilizations being necessary to produce a perfect 



FIG. 50. Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia). A, flowering branch. B, expanded flower: ap. anther 

 pocket. C, section of expanded flower: ap, op, anther pockets; *, stigma; a, anther (free) ; py-, pollen 

 grains in shower; ca, calj-x. Bisection of flower bud: ap, anther pocket. E, stamen more enlarged : 

 a, anther; po, pores; pg, pollen grains; /, filament. (From Cheshire.) 



fruit. Bees being, during the period of fruit blossoms, the most abun- 

 dant insects that might effect the necessary distribution of the pollen 

 of these flowers, the importance is at once seen of having an apiary in 

 or near the orchard. Continued rainy or cold weather may keep the 

 bees confined to their hives much of the time during fruit bloom, hence 



FIG. 51. Apple (Pyrus malus), showing structure of flower and result of imperfect fertilization. 

 A, blossom : ,stigmas; a, anthers; p, petal; ', sepal; ca, calyx; a", dissepiment. E, cross section of 

 imperfectly developed fruit : /,/, fertilized carpels ; u, unfertilized carpel. (From Cheshire.) 



it is advisable to have them near at hand and in numbers proportionate 

 to the size of the orchards, so that even a few hours of sunshine will 

 assure their making a thorough distribution of the pollen. In the 

 absence of accurate experiments regarding the number of colonies of 

 bees required to insure proper fertilization in the orchard, and also in 



