SOURCES OF HONEY. 63 
jority of such cases, the aid of insects is necessary. In 
the search for honey, the bees visit numerous flowers of 
the same species only, in one journey (a, fact which is 
mentioned by Aristotle), and its body being covered by 
the pollen, it is next to impossible for it not to leave some 
of it in the proper place. 
INJURY TO RIPE FRUIT, 
There is a prevalent opinion that bees do much injury 
to ripe fruit, such as grapes, peaches, plums, etc. It is 
often affirmed that crops of these fruits, especially grapes, 
are measurably destroyed by the bees puncturing the skin, 
and sucking the juices. 
A gentleman, whose letter lies before me, states that he 
does not secure one-twentieth of his grape crop, for this 
reason. 
Mr. Quinby, as well as myself, gave this matter much 
personal attention, from the fact that we were largely in- 
terested in grape culture, as well as bees, having several 
hundred vines under cnltivation. Our experience fully 
accorded with the testimony of Mr. Langstroth, and 
other intelligent observers, to the effect that a honey-bee. 
never injures sound fruit. In reply to a gentleman who. 
complained of the bees, Mr. L. gave the following, as 
among the reasons why the bees could not inflict any ex- 
tensive injury upon his grapes : 
“That as the supplies of honey. from the blossoms had 
entirelyfailed * * * if the bees had been able to help 
themselves to his cound grapes they would have entirely 
devoured the fruit of hisvines. * * * That the jaws 
of the bee being adapted chiefly to the manipulation of, 
wax, were too feeble to enable it readily to puncture the 
skin, even of his most delicate grapes. Jn reply to these 
arguments, being invited to go to his vines and see the 
depredators in the very act, the result justified my antici- 
