Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-10-25

erness.
A correspondent of Nature writes
as follows:
l have never followed Huber
through his wonderful researches
into the astounding working pro-
ceedings of hive bees-that elder
Huber, who, by the way, aided by
so admirable spouse, brought his
researches to so successful an issue
Notwithstanding his blindness.
Hence my excuse, if what attempt
to describe as being original to my
own sense of observation, prove not
so to others. l think it is conced-
ed universally that, among other
leguminous plants, peas have ever
been secure from cross fertilization,
one variety with another, in so far
as natural influences, insect agency,
etc., etc., are concerned. Our stock
of garden peas, though known to
run weedy and grow inferior when
cultivated too long upon one kind
of soil, very rarely, if ever, sport
or vary as other plants placed in
juxtaposition Of species, especially
varieties, are known to do. So
decidedly has this fact been con-
frmed, that invariably sweet peas,
even when it is desirable to grow
them true to name, are sown in
rows, side by side, whites, scarlcts,
blues, etc., with the utmost i'm
punity. And this is wholly owing
to the fact that the floral envelopes
are so securely wrapped around the
pistil and the stamens that these
parts cannot be reached without the
exertion Of more power than the
strength bees and similar winged
insects are supposed ordinarily to
possess; unless, indeed, mechanism
be called to their aida science in
itself, but which, nevertheless, has
been resorted to in the instance to
which I would direct attention.
Here, then, the hive bees methodi-
cally bare the stamens by sheer
mechanical force, and rob each Of
its load of pollen by sense of touch
alone. And this they do in this
wise: Alighting on the aloe or
Swings" of each bloom, they first of
all press their heads up under the
base of that part of the papiliona-
ceous corolla called the "standard,"
or veailluna, and extract what nee
tar they find. Then, with their
little heads firmly pressed therein,
and holding fast by the four fore
legs they exert their power, thus
artifcally contrived, by treading
down both the aforesaid wings and
the ''keel,' or carino, which so
securely envelops the sexual organs
that they protrude, so that the an
theirs are laid bare, when they gen.
orally rub the pollen offthe stamens
on to their hairy bellies, only oc-
casionaliy using one hinder leg to
aid them. 1t will be seen that they
do this With their hinder legs and
body, at time when their heads
are entirely hidded from yiew. l
have tested these parts in regard to
the pressure needed to disclose the
pollen thus, and find that pressure
of half to three-quarters of an ounce
is necessary; and computing the
weight Of an individual bee at about
the sixteenth of an ounce, we see
what an amount of power must be
exerted in this hind before, or blind
fold, manner, 10y these interesting
little creatures.
l should add, however, though ]
have been selecter Of sweet peas
for more than dozen years in other
parts ofthe country,as the selections
sold by some seedmen with my
signature attached confirms, 1 never
theless have not previously believed
in any power possessed by insect
agency to thus destroy selections.
Here, at Valentines, however, be-
ing only seven miles from London,
it would appear that the bees, like
town sparrows, are unusually "wise
in their generation" and that, ow-
ing to scarcity Of honey-yielding
materials, they are driven to such
wonderful feats as have explain
ed.