BEE PASTUEAGE. 91 



were it otherwise, the end in view would not be .answered. 

 A hvindred or more floAvers are often visited in one excur- 

 sion, and the pollen obtained from the first may fertilize 

 many others previous to the return of the bee to the hive. 

 By such a cross-fertilizing, a field of buckwheat may be 

 kept in health and vigor in its future productions. A 

 field of wheat produces long slender stalks that bend to 

 the breeze, and one ear is made to bestow its pollen on an 

 ear several feet distant, thereby effecting just what bees 

 do for buckwheat. Corn, from, its manner of growth, the 

 upi'ight stalks bearing the stamens some feet above the 

 pistils on the ears below, seems to need no agency of bees ; 

 the superabundant pollen from the tassel is wafted by the 

 wind several rods from the stalk that produces it, and 

 there does its work of fertilizing the distant ear, as is 

 proved by the mixing of diffei'ent varieties at some dis- 

 tance. 



BEES NECESSAKV TO ESiSUUE A CROP. 



But how is it with the vines trailing on the ground, a 

 part of the flowers producing stamens, the others pistils ? 

 It is absolutely essential to produce fruit, that pollen from 

 the staminate flowers shall be introduced into the pistillate 

 ones ; if this fails to occur, the germ will wither and die. In 

 the bee we have an agent ready for the purpose ; both stami- 

 nate and pistillate flowers are visited promiscuously by it, the 

 pollen, not being kneaded into pellets, (particularly that from 

 pumpkins,) adheres to every part of the body, rendering 

 it next to impossible for the bee to enter a pistillate flower 

 without leaving a portion of the fertilizing dust in its pro- 

 per place. Hence it is reasonably inferred by many, that 

 if it were not for this agent among our vines, the uncer- 

 tainty of a crop from non-fertilization, would render their 

 cultivation a useless task. When the aphis is located on 

 the stalk or leaf of a plant, it is furnished with means to 



