122 Bec-hce piiifi in ]'icton(i. 



stamens. In passing tlirough the flower the pollen grains attach them- 

 selves to the numerous hairs on the body of the bee, and as the insect 

 files from flower to flower some of the pollen grains are transferred as 

 the bee brushes against the stigma. The same result occurs when the 

 bee is oathering pollen, a substance which is absolutely necessary to the 

 existence of bee life, as not a single young bee can be reared without 

 pollen. 



The usefulness and the importance of this work of the bee can 

 hardly be over-estimated, and successful orchard practice will uever 

 result until the work of the bee is recognised practically by the establish- 

 ment or the temporary locating of bee colonies in or near every orchard. 

 The failure of fruit blossoms to become pollinated occurs chiefly in 

 early spring and during bad weather. To insure as far as possible the 

 pollination of fruit blossoms under these adverse conditions, it is neces- 

 sary that the hives of bees should be near the flowering trees, that the 

 bees should be of a race or strain which commences brood-rearing early 

 ill spring, so that the gathering of pollen for the needs of the brood 

 is carried on even on cloudy and cold days. As black bees are less 

 sensitive to cold and rain, and commence breeding earlier than Italian 

 bees, the first-named and its crosses with the Italian bee will be found 

 more suitable for the fertilization of early blooms. 



Condition of Bee Colonies an Important Factor. 



The pollen of flowers is used by bees in the preparation of the food 

 of tile young be© larvae, but is not required by adult bees for their 

 own sustenance, which during inactivity consists entirely of honey ; 

 further, the time at which brood-rearing commences in spring is, apart 

 from the factor of race, governed by the number of bees a hive con- 

 tains and the amount of honey present. The stronger a colony is in 

 bees and the richer in stores of honey, the earlier it will start brood- 

 rearing, because considerable numbers clustered together are necessary 

 to produce sufficient animal heat to enable them to rear brood at a 

 time when the temperature is low, and even a large colony will, on the 

 other hand, not start breeding early when short of stored honey. Honey 

 is a good non-conductor of heat, and therefore protects the bees against 

 the influence of the temperature outside the hive, and prevents the loss 

 of animal heat created by the cluster of bees, and absolutely necessary 

 to the rearing of brood. It must also be remembered that the first 

 forage trips of bees early in the season are in search of pollen, not of 

 nectar, and that a colony weak in numbers or short of stores cannot 

 breed early, and does not require pollen. For the purpose of fertilizing 

 early blossoms a strong colony of bees, well supplied with honey of the 

 previous season's gathering, is therefore more effective than a number of 

 weak or half-starved stocks. 



Distance of Hives from Trees and Number of Hives Necessary. 



The distance to which bees will fly in search of pollen and nectar 

 varies with the season and the weather at time of fruit blossom. On 

 warm sunny days bees will go a mile or more, even in early spring. 

 On cold and cloudy days they do not venture far, and during short 

 snatches of sunshine would probably not visit flowers more than lOO 

 yards distant, if there is no blossom nearer to lead them on. 



