L921.] 



Pollination of Fruits. 



127 



in this country, it would seem that hive bees, bumble bees and 

 >:he smaller wild bees take the greatest part in cross-pollination. 

 By reason of their habits they are better able to act as carriers 

 of pollen than other insect visitors are, and the operation is 

 further assisted by their hair-covered bodies and legs. Bumble 

 bees work earlier and later as well as in less favourable weather 

 than do hive bees. Again, where there are extensive fruit 

 plantations the number of wild bees is small compared with 

 the number of flowers that should be visited. It is, there- 

 fore, of great advantage to keep hive bees near fruit plantations. 

 This is especially the case with cherry orchards, especially 

 in seasons when the weather is unfavourable for the fertilization 

 of the blossoms : the bees are then at hand to cross-pollinate 

 the blossoms during the short intervals suitable for that 

 work. In 1920 the weather was cold, rainy and windy during 

 most of the blossoming time of cherries, yet it is believed that 

 where bees were kept the crop of cherries was much better than 

 where bees were not kept. One orchard was seen which usually 

 produced several tons of cherries, but which in 1920 only 

 produced a peck. No bees were kept in the neighbourhood. 

 Another orchard where bees were kept, produced a good crop. 



Hives of bees are probably best placed within a few hundred 

 yards of the fruit plantation. If, as is likely, the fruit grower 

 is too busy to look after the bees himself, it would repay him 

 well to offer a bee keeper free standing room for his hives, or 

 even to pay him a few shillings for each hive placed near the 

 orchard, the bee keeper looking after them and keeping the honey. 



In cherries, apparently the only thoroughly self-fruitful 

 variety is the Morello. All other varieties benefit by pollination 

 with pollen of another variety. 



Among plums, Pershore Yellow Egg and Pershore Purple Egg 

 and some damsons and bullaces are very self -fertile and can 

 be planted alone. Next, perhaps, come Victoria. Monarch, 

 Czar, Denniston's Superb, but all these crop better when inter- 

 planted with other varieties. 



In the case of apples and pears, no variety can be recom- 

 mended to be planted alone in quantity. 



Object and Procedure of the Trials.— The object of these 

 experiments was to elicit information on throe points : — (1^ The 

 effect of excluding insects; (2) Whether the variety matured 

 fruit with its own pollen: and Whether the variety Bet fruit 

 better with pollen of a different variety. 



