1895. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



54B 



CONDUCTED BY 



Rev. Emerson T. Abbott, St. Josepb, Afo. 



Stra^wtierry Pollination.— " Can you raise a crop 

 ofCri'sceiit strawberries wiih no staminate blossoms within a 

 mile?" — Dr. Miller, on page 454. 



Say.Doctor.I will let you and Mr. Jolley settle yoar straw- 

 berry disputes, but I want to suggest that it is a little danger- 

 ous to tackle these botanical questions unless you are keeping 

 yourself well read up on the subject. It is not absolutely nec- 

 essary that fertilization shall take place In order that fruit 

 may be produced, and _you were peculiarly unfortunate in 

 mentioning the "Crescent," as you will see by the following: 



"Certain so-called pistillate varieties— notably the Cres- 

 cent — at times mature fruit and apparently perfect seeds in 

 the absence of any perfect fluweriug variety." — Prof. W. M. 

 Muosou, of the Maine Experiment Station. 



This may seem startling, but he says further: "One 

 grower of my acquaintance uses no perfect-flowering variety, 

 and succeeds admirably." 



Not only strawberries, but pears and other fruit are pro- 

 duced without fertilization. Often pollination takes place 

 without the ovules being impregnated. Pollination seems to 

 act In two ways — in one case it impregnates the ovules, and in 

 the other It acts directly on the fruit, stimulating its growth. 

 The latter frequently occurs without having any effect on the 

 ovules. Hence, such fruit as strawberries and pears may 

 seem to be perfectly developed, but the seed — the real fruit in 

 the strawberry — will be imperfect. 



Special Agent Waile demonstrated by a series of experi- 

 ments that in all cases where the ovules of the pear were not 

 'mpreguated, the fruit, though seemingly perfect, was not as 

 large and as well developed as it was where the act of impreg- 

 nation had taken place. The facts stated above should not be 

 lost sight of in the discussion of this subject. Let me quote 

 further from Prof. Muuson, as conflrmiug my position : 



" The fact seems well established that In certain species 

 the ovary may develop and reach normal size without the cor- 

 responding impregnation of the ovules, and even in the entire 

 absence of the male element. Wliat the conditions are which 

 induce this apparently abnormal condition, is not fully deter- 

 mined. It is evident, however, that vigorous growth of the 

 parent plant is of first importance." 



I want to call special attention to a statement of Prof. 

 II. 's iu the first quotation. You will notice that he says, 

 "and apparently perfect seeds." I am glad that he said " ap- 

 parently," for 1 am pretty thoroughly convinced that no seed 

 will be produced, if the act of impregnation does not take 

 place. 



1 feel quite sure that there is yet much to learn about the 

 influence of pollen in the development of fruit. I have said 

 more than once that it is not a question of the mere produc- 

 tion of fruit, but a question of perfect fruit — perfect fruit not 

 only for one year, but for all time to come. It may prove to 

 be true that lack of perfect impregnation for a long series of 

 years will cause the plant to degenerate. In that case it is 

 not a question of one crop, but of the best possible crop for 

 years. This fact makes all that I have said on the subject 

 harmonize with the above — Jit/t /7-uU a(one, 6ut perfect /ruit 

 for all time to come is the mission of the bees in orchard and 

 berry-pnlch. 



Tbe nicEvoy Pout Brood Xreatment is 



given in Dr. lloward's pamphlet on " Foul Brood ; Its Natural 

 History and Katioual Treatment." It is the latest publication 

 on the subject, and should be iu the hands of every bee-keeper. 

 Price, 25 cents ; or clubbed with the iiee Journal for one year 

 —both for $1.10. 



The North American at Toronto.— Although 

 all the program for the meeting of the North American Bee- 

 Keepers' Association at Toronto is not quite ready to an- 

 nounce. Secretary Hutchinson has sent me the following In 

 regard to transportation and hotel arrangements for those at- 

 tending the convention at Toronto, Sept. 4, 5, and 6; 



The North American will hnld its annual convention in 

 the auditorium of the Normal Si,-hool, at Toronto, Out., Can- 

 ada, on Sept. 4, 5, and b, the first session being on the even- 

 ing of the 4th. 



The Trunk Line Association and the Central Traffic Asso- 

 ciation have both given reduced rates— a fare and one-third. 

 Persons going will buy a ticket paying full fare going, and 

 get a Certificate from their station agent. If a ticket 

 Certificate cannot be obtained because your starting-puiui is a 

 small place, then buy a ticket to (he nearest large town where 

 a CertiHcate may be obtained. It might be well to inquire of 

 the agent a few days beforeliand. an»l thus learn if he has 

 any Certificates, and the point where one can be obtained if 

 he has none. 



If lUO persons are present who have come on some legiti- 

 mate form of railroad transportation, all who have Certificates, 

 and have paid as much as 75 cents fare going, will be sold 

 tickets for the return trip at one-third fare. In Canada and 

 Michigan, and iu other Stales, perhaps (but of this I do not 

 know), round trip ticket can be boiiglit for but a single fare. 

 This, of course, will be better than the certificate plan. Per- 

 haps many living a short distance beyond where excursion 

 rates are given, will find it cheaper to buy a regular ticket to 

 the nearest point where exitursion rates prevail, but those 

 coming lung distances will probably find the Certificate plan 

 the best. Eich one must lonk up these matters iu adTaoce 

 and decide for himself which is the best for him. 



The Trunk Line Association covers the roads from Niag- 

 ara Falls. Buffalo, Salamanac, N. Y.. Pittsburg, Pa., Bellaire, 

 Ohio, Weeling, Parkersbnrg, and Cliaileston, W. Va., and 

 points east thereof excciit New England. I hope to get reduc- 

 tions from New Engldnd. The Central Traffic Assnciation 

 covers the territory west of Buffalo and Pittsburg to Chicago, 

 aud St. Louis on the west, and the Ohio river on the south. 



Tickets must be bought not earlier than three days pre- 

 vious to the meeting, and, return tickets bought not later than 

 three days after llie meeting. 



The headquarters at Toronto will probably be at the 

 Palmer House, corner of King and York streets. This Is 

 $2.00 a day house, but if memhers will double np, two in a 

 bed. the price will be only $1.50 a day. If separate beds are 

 wanted, it will be $1.75. Remember this is during the indus- 

 trial Fair, when no reductions at all ought to be expected. 

 The street cars pass the hotel, and they can be taken within a 

 block of the Normal School, where theconvsntion is to be held. 



While the program is not yet complete, the following can 

 be announced : 



Thomas G. Newman, Chicago, Ills.— The Bee-Keepers' 

 Dnion : Its Past, Present, and ITutiire. 



Dr. C. C. Miller. Marengo, III. — Amalgamation of the 

 North American Bee-Keepers' Association and the Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Union. 



Hon. .Inhn Dryden, Minister of Agriculture, Toronto, 

 Canada — Address of Welcome, Etc. 



A short address by Jhs. Mills, M.A., L.L.D., President of 

 the Ontario Agricultural College, Gnelph. Canada. 



S T. Peltit. Belmont, Out. — Introducing Queens. 



Ernest R. Root. Medina, Ohio — Uee-Paralysis : What We 

 Know and Sliould Do About it. 



Allen Pringle, Selby, Out.— Mistakes of Bee-Papers aad 

 Bee-Journals. 



H. R. Biiardman, East Towusend, Ohio— How to Feed 

 Bees Profitably. 



Hon. R. L. Taylor, Lapeer, Mich.— How Bee-K'>epers 

 Might Receive More Benefit from the Experiment Stations. 



P. A. Oeminill, Stratford. Out.— Who Shall Winter Bees 

 Out-of- Doors ; Who in the Cellar ? 



Dr. J. P. H. IJrown, Augusta, Ga.— What is Indicated by 

 Color in Italian Bees ? 



Jan.es Heddon, Dowagiac, Mirh— The Proper Size of a 

 Brood-Nest, and How It Shall be Decided. 



B. Taylor, Forestville, Minn.— The Surest and Best Way 

 of Producing a Crop of Comb Honey. 



O. M, D.Hililtle, Borodino, N. Y.— Some Things of Interest 

 to Bee-Keepers. 



R. McKuight, Owen Sound, Ont.— Legislation for Bee- 

 Keepers. 



Flint, Mich. W. Z. Hutchinson, Sec. 



