61 



PART III.— BEES IN RELATION TO FLOWERS 

 AND FRUIT-CULTURE. 



I. IN RELATION TO FLOWERS GENERALLY. 



The primary object of this chapter is to bring under the notice of our 

 orchardists and others interested in fruit-growing the immense value of 

 the cross-fertilisation of fruit-blossoms in the production of fruit, and to show 

 the important part the hive-bee plays in bringing this about. In order 

 the better to reaUse the complex mechanism of flowers and the wonderful 

 process of fertilisation, and so to appreciate the efiects of crosa-fertiHsation 

 in the orchard, I deem it necessary to touch upon these points before dealing 

 directly with the main subject. 



Insect-life and plant-life are almost entirely interdependent upon each 

 other. Insects obtain sustenance and", in the majority of cases, shelter from 

 the vegetable world, while plants of most kinds are mainly dependent upon 

 insects for the propagation of their species. A host of insects, large and 

 small, of which the hive-bee is the most important, feed chiefly on the sac- 

 -charine matter secreted in the nectaries of blossoms ; and some of them 

 (the hive-bee in particular) require for their own food or for that of their 

 young a good deal of farinaceous matter supplied by the fecundating dust 

 of the anthers of the same blossoms, termed " pollen." On the other hand, 

 it is necessary for the proper fertilisation of the plant that such fecundating 

 ^iust brought from some other plant ot the same species should ceme in con- 

 tact with its pistils, and this is effected by the agency of insects chiefly. 



SEXUAL OEGANS IN FLOWERS. 



In flowers there are organs analogous to, though widely differing from, 

 those indicative of sex in the animal kingdom. The functions at least 

 are the same ; and the combined action of the two sets is essential to 

 the propagation of the race by seed. 



In this connection it is interesting to note the remarks of the late F. R. 

 ■Cheshire. He said, — 



Blooms are produced by plants in order that seeds may follow, and so 

 the race be continued. Two parts are essential to this reproduction — the 

 anther and the pistil, the latter very generally occupying the central posi- 



