366 
Beekeeping 
fruit trees are incapable of self-fertilization, in other cases 
fertilization is more abundant with cross-pollination and 
in no case is cross-pollination detrimental. It is therefore 
evident that successful fruit-growing is dependent on insect 
visitation. Of all the insects which serve the fruit-grower, 
there is none more efficient than the honeybee. Further¬ 
more, in one important respect the honeybee becomes the 
most dependable of all. At the season when the fruit trees 
blossom, insects of the wild species may be scarce, having- 
been decimated by severe winter conditions, and we have 
no way of increasing their number. While honeybees also 
suffer, sometimes severely, from winter conditions, it is 
relatively easy not only to build up the colonies in the early 
spring but to bring in additional colonies as agents of fertili¬ 
zation. It therefore is a simple matter for the fruit-grower 
to provide insects to fertilize his blossoms, if the weather 
is suitable for flights during the blooming period. Progres¬ 
sive fruit-growers in all parts of the country are coming more 
and more to realize this and many of them now keep bees 
solely for the benefits to the fruit crops. 
Since it unfortunately sometimes happens that ignorant 
or incorrectly informed fruit-growers do considerable injury 
to colonies of bees in their neighborhood by spraying their 
trees with poisonous chemicals while in full bloom, it may 
be well to examine the facts to determine who receives the 
greatest benefits from the presence of bees in the average 
farming community. If one examines a fruit tree in full 
bloom, many species of insects will be found at work on the 
blossoms, gathering or eating nectar and pollen. These 
numerous species vary greatly in their efficiency in bring¬ 
ing about cross-pollination, and no species is better fitted 
by structure or behavior for this work than the honeybee. 
Furthermore, if colonies of bees are to be found near by, as 
there generally are, there are usually as many honeybees on 
the trees as there are insects of all other species combined. 
Insects of many of the visiting species stay only long enough 
to get sufficient to eat to satisfy their own immediate needs, 
