1898. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



357 



flowers iu which both pistils and authers are present prevent 

 self-fertilization by maturing these organs one before the 

 other, so that the two sexes are never present at the same time 

 in one flower. When the anthers ripen first the plants are 

 called proterandrous. 



If we examine a nasturtium flower we find the nectar 

 secreted in a long spur. When the flower first opens the style 

 is short and the stigma immature; the anthers are also un- 

 ripe, but they soon begin to rise so as to stand in a position, 

 ■when ripe, that a bee entering in search of the nectar cannot 

 fail to get dusted on the breast with pollen. The anthers 

 mature one after the other, the process occupying from three 

 to seven days, during which time the flower is in function only 

 male, altho carrying both sexes in the anthers and pistil. The 

 anthers now begin to fade and droi, off, but the style has 

 grown longer, and the pistil with the stigma adhesive and 

 receptive now assumes the position occupied by the authers, 

 the flower becoming henceforward female. In this way a bee 

 going from flower to flower with well-powdered breast carries 

 the pollen from the younger to the older blossom, and pro- 

 iluces cross-fertilization, the only one possible, as the two 

 Renders do not co-exist. It will also be seen that the lower 

 petals are cut along their edges into narrow strips which are 

 turned up so as to prevent water reaching the nectary. Then 

 looking at the petals we find lines which really act as guides, 

 pointing towards the nectary. 



There is another class of plants called proterogenous, in 

 ■which the pistils mature before the anthers. 



We may take figwort as a representative. Here we find, 

 as soon as the corolla opens, the stigma, already receptive, is 

 arranged immediately over the front lip, just in the right posi- 

 tion for bees coming from older blossoms to deposit the pollen 

 they carry on their breasts as they reach after the nectar. 

 Fertilization having been accompllsht the stigma shrinks and 

 xJles, while the anthers, previously curled and hidden, rise and 

 take its place. Most flowers are provided with contrivances 

 so that the nectar can only be reacht in a certain position, 

 and in the figwort we find the back petal standing at such a 

 height as to prevent the bee getting at the nectar from that 

 side and compelling her to come in contact with the anthers 

 and stigma. 



Nature's resources to produce cross-fertilization are end- 

 less. For instance, we find in the willow-herb that when the 

 flower first opens the style curves backwards and remains in 

 this position until all the anthers have shed their pollen, and 

 only then does it straighten and spread its four stigmatic sur- 

 faces — which up to this time bad been closed — just in the right 

 position to receive the pollen brought by the bee. 



Then we have another class of plants in which the gen- 

 ■ders appear on different parts of the same plant, and these 

 are called moncescious. Squashes, cucumbers and melons are 

 examples of such plants, and when the last two are cultivated 

 under elass, and bees are excluded, the operation of " ferti- 

 <izing," or "setting," must be undertaken by the gardener. 

 In dlwseifjus plants the genders are placed on different plants. 

 This was known even to Herodotus, who describes the process 

 ■of " caprification " — the transference of pollen from the male 

 blossom of one tree to the female blossom of another — by 

 which dates in Egypt are insured. Being in Tunis one April, 

 I witnest this operation, and admired the skillful manner in 

 which the Arabs cllmed the bare stems of the date palms. 

 Amongst plants of this class we find box-elder, persimmon, 

 and many varieties of strawberries. 



We have another class of plants in which the blossoms be- 

 come practically diwscmis by differentiating into two or even 

 three forms. In the primrose or flax we flnd flowers having 

 Jong and short styles. Thos^ with long styles have the an- 

 thers placed half way down the corolla-tube, while in those 

 with the short styles the anthers are placed at the throat, just 

 In the position occupied by the stigma in the long-styled form. 

 It is evident that if a bee visits the long-styled form, her 

 tongue, protuded to reach the nectar, will get dusted with pol- 

 len upon the center, aud, in passing to the short-styled form, 

 will deposit the pollen on the stigma. Darwin found that the 

 best seed and the largest quantity could only be produced by 

 crossing the different forms. He also found that the pollen 

 differed iu «ize, and that grown from a different form of blos- 

 som was prepotent. Occasionally plants present three forms, 

 as, for instance, in the purule loosestrife (Lythrum salicnrUi). 

 Here we have flowers on different plants, with long, medium, 

 and short styles and stamens. We find the long pistil is fer- 

 tilized by the long stamens of the other two forms, the medium 

 t)y the medium, and the short by the short, so that, as bees 

 pass from plant to plant, the pollen finds its proper resting 

 place. 



No order of plants contain more that are useful to the 

 farmer than the Lcgurnninosa; which all have an irregular 



corolla, adapted to insect fertilization. Amongst these we 

 find peas, beans, alfalfa, clovers, sainfoin, vetches and many 

 others. So dependent is this order on insect visits, that Dar- 

 win found that In 100 heads of common purple clover {Trifo- 

 Hum pratense) protected not a seed was produced, while 100 

 heads visited by insects produced 2,720 seeds. Similar re- 

 sults were obtained with white clover. In New Zealand, I 

 recollect, some years ago, owing to their being no bumble- 

 bees — the special fertilizers of this species — no seed could be 

 obtained from purple clover, and it had to be imported every 

 year from England until these bees were introduced from the 

 old country. 



In the sage family we find some curious modifications to 

 insure cross-fertilization, and in the order cnwifenr, which 

 includes cabbage, turnip, radish and mustard, we flnd the 

 anthers in the young blossom face the style ; but before they 

 ripen they turn their backs and shed their pollen, which is 

 thus in the most unlikely position to come in contact with the 

 stigma, but is most favorably situated for adhering to insects. 

 LCoQCluded next week] 



CONDnCTBD BT 

 HI*. O. O. XIJKKRH. MARBJSaO. ILL. 



[Questions may be mailed to the Bee JourQai, or to Dr. Miller direct.] 



Killing Off Droiie§. 



Why are my drones being killed off at this time of the 

 year — May 26 ? We are having considerable rain this spring, 

 and perhaps that may, to a certain extent, have something to 

 do with it. I don't know. Connecticut. 



Answer. — A very rainy time, or scarcity of pasturage 

 from any other cause, would be sufficient reason. Sometimes 

 a colony that has just reared a young queen will kill off Its 

 drones when they are left undisturbed in other colonies. 



making Wax Sheets for Foundation. 



How are wax sheets made ready for the foundation 

 machine ? Minnesota. 



Answer. — Make a dipping-board of straight-grained pine 

 lumber; soak a few hours in water that has a teacup of salt 

 to three pails of water ; dip quickly in wax at about 165-, then 

 dip into cold water. When sufficiently cooled scrape the edge 

 of the board with a knife, then peel off the sheet. If you want 

 a heavier sheet dip a second time. To make heavy brood foun- 

 dation you will need as many as five dips. It takes practice 

 and skill to make a successful job. 



Quc»tion<ii About Sivarms. 



1. When is the proper time to put supers on new swarms 

 — when they are first hived, or afterward? 



2. Why is it better to leave the old swarm close to the 

 new one a week before moving it to a new stand? 



3. If a swarm runs away do they know where they are 

 going to when they start? Querlst. 



Answers. — 1. That depends. If the supers contain sec- 

 tions with starters that have never been toucht by bees, you 

 can put them on as soon as the swarm is hived. But if the 

 brood-chamber in which the bees are hived contains only start- 

 ers or sheets of foundation, and the super is one upon which 

 bees have already workt, then there is danger that the queen 

 will go up into the super and lay, unless you wait a day or two 

 for the bees to make a start in the brood-chamber, or unless 

 you have a queen-excluder between the brood-chamber and 

 super. If the super contains extracting-combs, it will not do 

 at all to put it on at once, and hardly later without an ex- 

 cluder. 



2. The old hive is left close to the swarm and moved a 

 week later so that the field-bees from the old hive will return 

 to the swarm, making the swarm stronger for super work, and 

 weakening the mother colony so much that it will not swarm 

 again. If you move the olJ hive away to a new place at the 

 time of hiving the swarm, you will fail of getting this acces- 

 sion to the swarm, and a sjcoud swarm may be thrown off, If 



