222 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



already adherent and receptive, presents itself immediately over the front lip 

 (Fig. 550), and bees — having been dusted by pollen in their visits to older 

 flowers, and in a manner we shall presently see — as they reach in after the 

 abundant nectar, transfer this pollen from their hairy breasts to the sticky surface 

 of the stigma. Cross fertilization having been secured, the stigma shrinks and 

 dries, and the style droops, while the anthers, which previously had been hiding 

 in the pouch like form given to the front of the corolla cup for their accommoda- 

 tion (see Fig. 550), now rise in view (Figs. 551 and 553), take the place whence 

 the stigma has retired, and begin to shed their pollen. 



The anthers completely occupy the space over the lip, arranging themselves 

 in two parts, so that, in getting the nectar, the bees must reach across if the 

 flower is approached in front, whilst the height of the back lip is such that it is 

 impracticable for them to steal the honey from behind. 



As the fertilizing dust is carried off for the benefit of the younger blossom* 

 the yield of nectar diminishes, and the corolla cup at last drops. There are 

 other blossoms in which male and female parts mature at the same time, but the 

 female are so arranged that an insect visiting them would come in contact with 

 the female part first, thus securing cross fertilization if the bee carries the pollen 

 from another flower, which is extremely probable. We have another set of 

 flowers in which the male and female organs are in one blossom, but in some 

 the anther is most exposed, in others the stigma. In these the blossom is able 

 to fertilize itself, but experiment has shown that, to secure the best results, cross 

 fertilization is desirable, and also that pollen, placed on the stigma of the flower 

 from whence it has been derived, would be rendered powerless by subsequently 

 adding pollen from the complementary blossom. 



In clovers the stigma first touches the bee's body, so that crossing is brought 

 about. In the leguminosae, this arrangement prevails; the pollen from the last 

 flower visited fertilizing the next. Since Darwin many scientists have made 

 abundant tests and experiments confirming this conclusions. Practical men 

 have by observation confirmed the same. They notice a scarcity of insect visits 

 to the blossoms of the first crop of red clover and its failure to bear seed. 

 Alsike clover is freely visited in June by the honey bee, and bears a crop of 

 seeds. 



In New Zealand the red clover failed to seed at all seasons, and there was 

 a marked absence of insects upon the blossoms. This led to the importation 

 of bumble bees, our honey bee not having a tongue long enough to reach the 

 honey in red clover ; and now in New Zealand farmers produce clover seed. I have 

 had gardeners purchase a colony of bees that their vegetables might fruit more 

 liberally, and one gave an order for a colony to put right in his green house for 

 cucumbers, finding that to be the easiest and cheapest method of securing perfect 

 fertilization. We have all noticed if there is rain and cold all through fruit 

 bloom, the trees are almost sure to bear sparingly. 



Prof. Cook conducted a series of experiments bearing upon the importance 



