152 AUSTRALASIAN BEE MANUAL 



in blossom is not only injurious to the blossoms them- 

 selves by destroying the pollen, with which the blossom.s 

 are fertilised, but also poisons the bees which visit them, 

 and thus defeats the object every fruit grower should' 

 keep in view, the cross-fertilisation of the blossoms. In 

 a number of the American States there are laws against 

 doing so. 



BEES AND AGRICULTURE. 



Much of the foregoing concerning cross-fertilisation 

 will apply to agriculturists where pastures are con- 

 cerned, but the principal objection farmers have brought 

 forward to the establishment of apiaries near their farms 

 has been that in the honey gathered from their pastures 

 they lose so much fattening matter that wouldi have 

 benefited their stock. As I have already gone fully 

 into this matter, and shown the folly of this idea in my 

 Bulletin mentioned above, I would ask those interested 

 to apply for a copy. All I need say here is, that bees 

 while conferring great benefits on agriculture, do no 

 harm whatever, and that the presence of an apiary, on 

 or close to his land, can be nothing but an advantage to 

 the agriculturist. 



FLIGHT OF BEES. 



There is considerable difference of opinion as to the 

 distance bees will fly for food ; some think they will go 

 six miles or more if there is sufficient inducement. 

 What concerns bee-keepers most is not how far they will 

 fly, but how far can they go to gather honey with profit 

 to their owner; or, in other words, how near to their 

 forage should they be. The consensus of opinion is, 

 they should not have to fly beyond a radius of two miles 

 in any direction, and I am of the same opinion myself. 



