BEES AND THE FERTILIZATION OF COFFEE. 
The question of the value of bees in coffee districts was raised at 
the annual meeting in 1911 of the United Planters’ Association of 
Southern India, with particular reference to the effect on outturn of 
crop caused by the regular destruction of these bees in certain districts 
(notably the Shevaroys), such destruction being alleged to cause the 
very marked diminution in the number of bees which is perceptible 
in such districts. After some cliscussion, the following resolution was 
proposed by the delegate for the Shevaroys and seconded by the 
Nilgiri delegate and passed :— 
** That Government be asked through the United Planters’ Associ- 
ation of Southern India to pass some ruies prohibiting the destruction 
of bees in planting districts.” 
2. The object of this resolution was to prevent or diminish the 
destruction of the bees themselves but not necessarily to place any 
impediments on the collection of honey or bees-wax. What was asked 
for was that Government should enforce rules in the coffee-planting 
districts to ensure that the bees themselves were not destroyed when 
their produce was taken. It was considered by the planters that it 
should be possible to take honey and wax without destroying the 
bees and that the present method of burning the bees off the combs 
was adopted simply as entailing the minimum amount of trouble. 
3. In reply to this.request, instructions were issued by Government 
that the matter should be investigated by the Entomologist. (See 
G.O. Mis. No. 2062, dated 11th July 1912, and addressed to the 
Secretary of the United Planters’ Association.) 
4. In order to determine as far as possible the actual importance 
of bees in the pollination of coffee, it was necessary to carry out field 
experiments to test this point. It was also requisite to find out 
definitely what species of bees were concerned, to what extent they 
were actually destroyed and how far such destruction had really 
effected any appreciable diminution in their numbers and, if such 
diminution seemed the effect of robbing the nests for honey and wax, 
how this destruction of bees could be minimised. 
5. Unfortunately I took over the duty of the newly-created post of 
Government Entomologist in Madras in April 1912, too late to make 
any such experiments in that year, as inquiry showed that the coffee 
had already blossomed in all the coffee districts, and it was necessary 
to defer the experiments until the next year. In order to gain a 
preliminary idea of the districts concerned, to find out what bees 
occurred there and to make local arrangements for the conduct of 
experiments during the ersuing coffee-flowering season, I paid a visit 
in October-November 1912 to the Shevaroys, the Bababudin hills, and 
to Coorg, and thereafter submitted the following tour report :— 
I.—BRepost or ta GovERNMENT ENTOMOLOGIST ON A 
TOUK IN THE SHEVAROYS. 
“T left head-quarters on the evening of 13th October, arriving 
at Salem the same night and proceeded next morning to Yercand. 
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