142 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



early autumn. Upon examination most of these will be found to be hollow- 

 cheeked, imperfectly-formed fruit; cut one of these hollow-cheeked windfalls 

 through the core and an undeveloped shrivelled pip will be found lying 

 opposite the flat undeveloped lobe, while opposite the perfectly formed side 

 of the apple we will get plump seeds ; thus proving that imperfect fertiliza- 

 tion causes more, windfalls than stormy gales. When fruit trees bloom 

 profusely and fail to set fruit, Jack Frost gets blamed for the failure ; but 

 he is not always guilty. It may be cold enough not to injure the blossom? 

 but too cold to permit insects to fly freely. If this happens at the critical 

 time a short crop is sure to follow. The extent of our indebtedness to the 

 bee for our apple crop may be determined by putting a piece of gauze over 

 a blossomed branch so as to exclude insects from the flowers. The result 

 will be no fruit, while neighboring branches may be loaded. 



The work of the bee, as a producer of fruit, is not confined to the apple, 

 but equally essential to the growth and perfection of raspberries, straw- 

 berries and blackberries, as well as to most of our vegetables ; indeed, her 

 range of usefulness is co-extensive with the floral world. Mainly, however, 

 to that part of the floral world, rich in its wealth of color, scent, and 

 nectar. 



Watching a bee work upon a raspberry, strawberry or blackberry blossom 

 is an interesting study. Alighting upon the solid part, encircled by the 

 petals, she moves round say from right to left — to use a military phrase — 

 she "carries the right shoulder forward " while collecting the tiny specks of 

 nectar lying between the druples, and continues this movement till she 

 makes the circuit of the flower. Observe the result. The left side of the 

 head shoulder and bell gets dusted with pollen, which is carried to the next 

 flower visited, where she again performs her circuitous movement, this time 

 hovering in the opposite direction, for she now " carries the right shoulder 

 forward " collecting pollen on the reverse side of the head shoulder and 

 belly, while that on the side now loaded is detached by the springing and 

 jerking of the styles over which she necessarily passes and drops where it 

 is required. So she visits flower after flower, making alternate circuits as 

 she goes. There is more than chance in these peculiar movements — there 

 is design. W^hen we consider that a raspberry requires some fifty or sixty 

 distinct fertilizations, and a strawberry from one to two hundred to insure a 

 perfect fruit, we will understand the importance of the bee's movements 

 while working on the flowers. I am mindful of the fact that other agencies 

 are employed in this work, but to the bee is due most of the credit. This 

 is abundantly evident from the fact that late in the season, when the 

 weather is unpropitious for the bee, and when she is less afield, we fre- 

 quently meet with berries — one side of which is ripe and luscious, while 

 the other is as hard and green as when the blossom drops. In such cases 

 the developed stigmas were dul}^ pollenated and this determined nutrition to 



