and its Economic Management. IO! 
and more particularly in the garden. they may occupy, it 
is very rarely, indeed, a poor crop of fruit is found, simply 
because the bloom is so thoroughly and_ regularly 
fertilised by the action of the bees, in securing a constant 
transmission, and mingling of the pollen. | 
It is plainly evident that the fruit grower of the fature 
who attempts to conduct his business without taking 
every means to secure the aid of the industrious honey 
bee will be like a captain attempting to carry his ship 
through the sea without a rudder. More or less success 
has of course been obtained in the culture of fruit in the 
past; but the growers have not hitherto had their eyes 
fully opened, that they could tell why the greater success, 
or the least profitable result, and even loss, should occur. 
The proximity of a larger or smaller number of hives will 
generally be found to sufficiently explain the variations. 
The state of the weather, and all supposed enemies of 
the fruit gardens, will receive far less consideration when 
the foregoing remarks are fully appreciated’ and acted 
upon. <A single hive, or even a dozen, will be of little 
use where there are large gardens and orchards. From 
25 to 100 stocks will be needed to secure the best possible 
results, according to the extent of the fruit farm ; and even 
if no one on the premises understands the management of 
bees, after defraying the expense of employing an expert 
either occasionally, or permanently where the number nears 
100, there will be a considerable profit on an apiary so 
favorably situated, while the immense benefit conferred 
upon the fruit crops will be entirely gratuitous. 
Any neighbouring bee-keeper should’ be encouraged, 
and in many cases expense may be saved by arranging 
with such apiarist to place a few of his hives in some 
sheltered spot on the premises, where the bees will be 
close at hand during the critical period of fruit bloom. 
