LIBRARY 
>TAT£ PLANT BOAJUl 
December 1942 
E-584 
THE DEPENDENCE OF AGRICULTURE ON THE BEEKEEPING INDUSTRY— A REVIEW 
Prepared by the Division of Bee Culture 
CONTENTS 
Page 
Introduction 1 
Pollination requirements of plants 4 
Reasons for inadequacy of wild pollinating insects 6 
Increased areas under cultivation 8 
Concentrated plantings 12 
Rail-fence elimination and heavy grazing 14 
Forest, brush, and grass fires 15 
The automobile and paved roads 16 
Poisoning from insecticides 16 
Value of the honeybee in pollinating crops 17 
Fruit crops 18 
Seed crops 30 
Forage crops grown for seed in Oregon 38 
Truck-crop plants grown for seed in California 39 
INTRODUCTION 
Most people have some appreciation that honeybees are the only source 
of honey and beeswax. Few realize, however, that, although the beekeeping 
industry produces in excess of 200 million pounds of honey and 4 million 
pounds of beeswax annually, these are merely byproducts, and that its 
principal role is in the pollination of the many agricultural crops for the 
production of seed and fruit. Without the help of insects to effect pol- 
lination, many species of plants will not set seed or produce fruit no 
matter how well they are cultivated, fertilized, and protected from diseases 
and pests. 
Although the honeybee is the most important pollinating insect, it 
is but one of many species of the Apoidea group so necessary for the per- 
petuation of flowering plants. Various species of flies, beetles, and 
