Tmm MMl^RICMN BEU JOURKSIL. 



121 



Bumble-bees are the chii'f fertilizers 

 of red elover, because of the length of 

 the eorolla, but as only the queen lives 

 over winter, and it takes her so long 

 to rear her young, the first crop is ripe 

 liefore her progeny are numerous 

 enough to do much good ; hence only 

 the second crop is depended upon for 

 seed. 



We have another eminent English 

 authority (Clieshire) for the statement 

 that gooseberries are absolutely de- 

 pendent upon insects for fertilization. 

 He states that the failure of this crop 

 so often attributed to late frosts, is 

 often due to non-fertilization. The 

 same author also says in reference to 

 apple blossoms, that the stigmas ma- 

 ture before the anthers, and that every 

 blcssom needs five independent fer- 

 tilizations to make a perfect apple. He 

 says that many of the wind-falls are 

 traceable to imperfect fertilization. 

 Out of 200 apples picked up at random 

 after a wind-storm, all but eight were 

 tracealile to this defect. Tlie reason 

 nature has stored nectar in such abund- 

 ance in the orchard fruit-blossoms, is 

 to entice the bees to travel over them 

 and thereby secure seeds to propagate 

 the species. 



But a still more important service 

 rendered by tliem is that of cross-fer- 

 tilization. Nature appears to abhor 

 the marriage of near relatives. Many 

 plants, although provided with both 

 male and female organs in the same 

 flower, are yet guarded from the bale- 

 ful eiiects of in-breeding, by the an- 

 thers maturing at a different time from 

 the stigmas, as before stated. Others 

 are self-fertilizing, but at the same 

 time are much more fertile if the pol- 

 len from a distant and non-nclated 

 plant be applied. In other words, the 

 pollen from a distant and non-related 

 plant of the same species is much more 

 prepotent than that from the same 

 flower or same plant. 



Darwin's pains-taking experiments 

 with self and cross fertilization carried 

 on for more than 17 years, and fol- 

 lowed up with numerous plants to the 

 tenth and twelfth generations, led him 

 to these conclusions : First, that cross- 

 fertilization is generally beneficial ; 

 second, that self-fertilization is gen- 

 erally injurious. 



Now the especial province of ijollen 

 and nectar gathering insects is to in- 

 sure the cross-fertilization which is so 

 beneficial. Nature does not usually 

 stake all her chances on a single per- 

 adventure. It is both increase and 

 improvement that are desired. If en- 

 tirely dependent upon insects, then 

 without them there would be no seeds 

 and no increase. If entirely depend- 

 ent upon the wind, then during a calm 

 •the blossoms would die of sterility. I 

 think you will find it true, however, of 



every plant or tree that secretes nectar 

 in abundance, thus inviting the fre- 

 quent visits of bees or other insects, 

 that it is either sterile without insect 

 aid, or else the crossing thereby in- 

 sured is highly important. 



Cross-fertilization is one of the most 

 interesting as well as important studies 

 in horticulture and floriculture. With- 

 out it, advance is impossible. Ever}' 

 apple would be like every other apple, 

 and every flower as stereotyped as a 

 printer's proof. Variety in color, in 

 flavor, and in fragrance are largely, if 

 not entirely, due to cross-breeding. 



In an essay read before the Nursery- 

 man's Convention last summer, our 

 President Patten stated that about 75 

 per cent, (and he might have said 95) 

 of all our improved fruits had come b_y 

 chance. How much of this, think you, 

 was due to the Inisy bee, in its quests 

 after the pearly drop of nectar hidden 

 for its finding ? " Her honey is but a 

 fraction of the results of her labors. 

 Man has had tiny helpers that he knew 

 not of. While he, for seasons, has se- 

 lected and hj-bridized, they, for ages, 

 have, with their little powers, toiled 

 along, perpetuating every movement 

 of the world of flowers toward the 

 beautiful." 



The Bees and tbe Fruit-Gronrer. 



Now as to bees injuring fruits : I 

 said at the outset, that they occasion- 

 ally annoyed the fruit-grower. Per- 

 haps it would have been more proper 

 to say " fruit-pickers." If grapes or 

 other soft fruits get bruised in picking, 

 or if they burst from over-ripeness or 

 damp weather ;. or if from any cause 

 the skin is abraded so the bees can get 

 at the soft, sweet pulp, they will tum- 

 ble headlong over each other in their 

 haste to get at the booty. 



Those who have made a scientific 

 study of their structure maintain that 

 a bee's mandibles are not formed for 

 biting or cutting like those of the 

 hornet or wasp. They can only mold 

 the -wax that forms the comb, at a high 

 temperature. If they could bite the 

 skin of a gi-ape to get its juice, why do 

 they not bite open the corolla of the 

 red clover blossom to get the abund- 

 ant nectar which they can scent but 

 cannot reach ? Here, again, Dai-win's 

 observations are valuable. He says 

 that he has many, many times exam- 

 ined the blossoms of the red clover, 

 and often seen hive-bees sucking the 

 nectar from the sides of the corollas, 

 near the base, from little holes bored 

 through them ; but he does not arraign 

 the bees for boring these holes. They 

 only appropriate what other insects 

 have made it possible for them to ob- 

 tain. He says : 



"As far as I have seen, it is always 

 bumble-bees which first bite the holes. 



and they are well fitted for the work, 

 by possessing powerful mandibles." 



Perhaps it may not be generally 

 known, that there is, in Illinois, an 

 apicultural experiment station, estab- 

 lished and supported by the govern- 

 ment for the purpose of determining 

 just such disputed questions as this. 



In the Agricultural Report for 1885, 

 may be found a very full account of 

 the means used to determine the pos- 

 sible injury which bees can do to sound 

 fruit. A large screen-house was built, 

 and several colonies placed therein, 

 subjected to all the conditions which 

 might be supposed to increase their 

 pillaging instincts, viz : drouth, warmth 

 and starvation. After being kept con- 

 fined in this condition for a few days, 

 23 varieties of grapes, besides peaches, 

 pears and other soft fruits, were hung 

 in the house or placed on shelves ; and 

 while the bees visited them constantly, 

 in search of food, not one was injured 

 by them. Others were dipped in honey. 

 Of course the latter was quickly appro- 

 priated, but not a skin was broken. 

 Others were placed in the hives, and 

 although polished like glass by con- 

 stant travel, none were injured. 



The limits of this essay will not 

 allow me to pursue this part of the 

 subject further. If any one wishes 

 more testimony, he should read that 

 candid report by a disinterested ob- 

 server. 



Forest City, Iowa. 



BEE-KEEPINa. 



Experience with Bees in Poor 

 Seasons. 



WrUUn for the American Bee Journal 

 BY GEO. W. MORRIS. 



Bees have not had a flight for about 

 ten days ; they have had several since 

 winter began. I have not lost a single 

 colony this winter, although the ther- 

 mometer has indicated zero tempera- 

 ture two or three times. I have only 

 11 colonies now. 



My report for 1886 and 1887 is as 

 follows, as near as I can remember : 



In May, 1886, I sold all my bees (16 

 colonies) for |100. Then I took charge 

 of an apiary consisting of 100 colonies, 

 for one-half of the honey and swarms 

 produced, which amounted to 1,000 

 pounds of the former, and 34 swarms. 

 This much for the work of May and 

 June. 



Right here I wish to give some facts 

 in favor of strong colonies at the 

 proper season. The strongest colony 

 gathered in the last week of May, 90 

 pounds of extracted honey, all from 

 locust bloom. The same colony in 

 June gathered from white clover, 45 



