268 MONEY IN BEES IN AUSTEALASIA 



honey per colony gathered in the fruit-growing districts 

 ranges from 30 to 100 lbs. This latter average would be 

 obtained only by veyy skilled management. 



Here is a note from a practical bee-farmer: — "In 

 America they often have a good yield of nectar from 

 apple bloom ; I have never had any noticeable gain here, 

 although my bees got all the fruit trees within a three- 

 quarter mile radius that they can possibly look after; in 

 fact, there is no more gain than from colonies that are 

 solely depending for nectar on virgin country. — C. J. 

 Haese, Mount Barker, W.A." 



Bee-farmers adjacent to orchards often lose heavily 

 (see "brood-poisoning") because of ignorant growers 

 who persist in spraying — with poisonous compounds — 

 trees in full bloom. Though it is very necessary to spray 

 for the purpose of keeping fruit pests in check, scientists 

 have demonstrated the danger of damaging the pollen 

 at certain stages. A decreased percentage of poUeniza- 

 tion (consequently less fruit set) frequently results from 

 the ill-directed use of poisons. Fortunately all progres- 

 sive orchardists are well aware that the proper time to 

 spray is just before the blossoms open and again as the 

 petals fall. 



Up-to-date men now regard bees as the surest agents 

 to effect perfect fertilisation, and they not only encourage 

 apiarists to locate close handy, but — in some cases — keep 

 a few bees themselves. Thus they assure, as far as 

 possible, the perfect development of each fruit. As most 

 apiarists are aware, nectar is truly a bribe offered by the 

 tree to insects. Iji search of this the insects act as dis- 

 tributors of pollen from flower to flower, thus performing 

 one of the most valuable services rendered to mankind. 



A correspondent who has studied this matter of nectar 

 secretion writes as follows : — ' ' The perfume of flowers is 

 generally derived from their nectar ; the blossoms of some 

 plants, however, as ivy and holly, though almost scentlesS; 

 are highly nectariferous. The exudation of a honey-like 

 or saccharine fluid as has frequently been attested, is not 

 a function exclusively of the flowers of all plants. A 



