]0 



sratt.-,' Um. hivrs ll,rMiHd,nul i\w te.rilorv tn Ue w.ukr.l. In 1!)10, in tlie Wenatchee 

 Valley, \Va.sl,..ara,rFur .nvrsti-ali,.., sh,,«aal that on a|.|,k-t,L-.-s not .,vcr 100 ya.-ds 

 fioni iH-i-liivfS onl\ 7 |,rr rent, of tlic frait-spurs failwl to sot, while of those farthei' 

 auay4!l j.er rent.' failed. The profes.'^or in eharge ..f the nivestigation says: " Our 

 co„,'lus„a, is that, in ,a,ler to p.'event ca-o], failure from lack of ])ollination in the 

 future, we uuist get hees. Tlu- eounuou honey-bees are the I.est insert pollinators on 

 eaith.' They conte out earli.a' ui the spring, stay out later in the fall, I.egin earlier in 

 the uioruiug', auil work later in the evening, an.l they will work uurler more nnfavour- 

 ahle conditions than any other insect. Kroui my Mork willi hees 1 have calcnlated that 

 a sincle lioney-liee is capable of (aoss-iK.llinating <.ver 1(3,000 apple-l,los.sonis in a day 

 (this maybe a misprint, liut the numljer visited is ix-rtainly large); but during the 

 blossoming ])erioil there arc so many blossoms that the bees do not go far from the 

 hives, so we need hives all over tlie orchard," 



Another authority says he considers that in every orchard there »hould lie at least 

 one colony of liecs for every tweuty-tive trees, in order to secure thorough pollination 

 of the fruit-blossonrs. 



r.iKTIAL l^IST or Ho\KY .\N11 l^OLLEX Pr,A,\TS IX HlHTISIC CoIAlHlilA. 



When Dr. Watts, the eminent hymn-writer, .said of bees that they 



r:atherli.)iiey all llie cla\- 

 Kroni e\ery opening- firwer. 



His statement was not altogether in accordance with fact, for they patroiiise but a small 



proportion of Howering plants. For weeks at a time bees need very little attention ; 



on the othei- hand, there are occasions when they need care at once, and these are 



usually depiendent on the Horal conditions ; lieiu*. it is ver)' important that e\'ery 



bee-keeper should be familiar with all the bee-plants of his locality. He should know 



the dates of liloomiug, and abo\-e all what time in the spring thei'e is a likelihoo<l of a 



dearth of nectar, so that, if necessary, he can tide ox'er the period by feeding with 



sugar. The writer ad\'ises the keeping of a diary, which in his own case is a rather 



simple affair, consisting of a sheet of paper S \ 1(1 inches in size, on which he records 



the first appearance of the l)lossom of each variety of plant, occasionally adding a little 



note for guidance in future years. 



The list given bcLow contains all plants in the reports ; the dates show when they 

 bloom in Victoria. The remarks ari.se out of the writer's e.vpierienee in the same city. 

 Doubtless the list can he considerably extended, and so every liee-keeper is invited to 

 send additions to tlie Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, so that they may 

 be added in faturt.' c(litions : — 



Feb. 21. — WilloM-. Pollen carried in. 



ilar. 17. — Much wilhm-. A few dandelions. 



" "2."). — Oregon grape. 



" 2."). — Brood in four frames. 

 Apr. 7. — Dandelions plentiful. 



It 11. — ^\'ild strawd lerry, 



" 12, — Early pears. 



n 15. — Pollen becomes p)lcntiful. 

 IS. — Early plums, a]jples. 

 ilay 1. — Broom: a very fine pollen-plant. 



" 12. — Cultivated strawdierr'v. 



Wild sunflowers. Blo..m May 1.3th at Cranbrook. 



" 20.— Bees often need feeding about this date. 



" 24. — Chestnut. 



