TREATMENT OF ESTABLISHED ORCHARDS 407 



them. The rental charge varies from $3.00 to $5.00 for the 

 blossoming season. 



Distance Which Bees Will Carry Pollen, It is impossible to 

 state definitely how far bees will fly and carry pollen. This 

 will vary, of course, with several factors, such as kind of 

 weather at blossoming time and the distance of the bloom from 

 the hive. In warm, sunny w^eather, bees may fly long dis- 

 tances, and so self -unfruitful varieties, even in rather large 

 blocks, may be satisfactorily pollinated even though other 

 varieties may be at some distance. However, the value of 

 bees, and of pollinating varieties, is especially shown in seasons 

 when the weather is cold, damp, and windy, and when only 

 occasional short periods are favorable for bee flight. In such 

 seasons, when the set is generally poor, and the prices of fruit 

 high at picking time, the great value of bees for cross-pollina- 

 tion purposes is clearly evident. 



Length of Time to Keep Bees in the Orchards. It is neces- 

 sary to have the bees in the orchard only during the blossom- 

 ing period. As a result some growers place their own hives in 

 the orchard during this period only, or rent hives during this 

 time. Most growers remove their bees to other locations as 

 soon as blossoming is over for the following reasons: (a) more 

 food will be available for the bees, (b) there w^ill be less danger 

 of injury to the horses and workmen during the summer, (c) 

 there will be less chance of the bees spreading fruit diseases 

 such as brown rot of peaches and fire blight of pears, and (d) 

 the possible damage to bees from the use of arsenical spray 

 is eliminated. 



6. Treatment of Established Orchards in Need of Cross- 

 Pollination. As soon as a fruit grower learns that he has a 

 self-unfruitful variety planted in a solid block, he should top- 

 work one tree in nine (the third tree in every row) or at least 

 one tree in thirty (the fifth tree in every fifth row) to a cross- 

 compatible variety. In addition, he should place several hives 

 of bees in the orchard and bring in blossoming branches of 



