Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-03-15

ishlng enough product 10 sup.
ply the home demand for honey
for the farmers tables " the
bees are given the proper care and
attention. To find bees on 10 many
farms u o gratifying circumstance. az
there aro very few places where sev-
cral colonies Of bees can not be kept
profItably. and d u 20 be hoped that
more Of the great number OF farms
where none are kept now viii be
stocked with proper supply. No farm
ls complete without FEW colonies
OF bees that viii furnish that most %.
liciOus natural sweet. pure honey. that
can not be- replaced as q most palnt.
able. hoalthful. nourishlnE food.
a serious trouble and a great mis-.
take OF the majority OF farmers. how
ever. Is their neglect OF these most
important of their friends. the honey
bees. Nothing suffers more easily
from this than these little creatures
They should receive us good care as
mankind with delicious honey. but an
other and more important reason
that OF iructlfying the flowers visited
by them 40 Il may be made possible
for these 10 bear frut and seeds. The
most of our host OF plants absolutely
require the visits of the honey bees
or other insects. 10 carry pollen from
one flower to another ana thereby
fcrtillzD the blossoms. Pollen is gath
cred by bees from flnwors and carried
To the hives in ittl- bright coiorcd
pellets on thcir hind legs. tor fond
They must have pollen Ca prepare the
partly digcsted food with which the
young larvae are fed. inability io ro-
cur" sufficient pollen causes delayed.
or diminished. progress Of the colon
les OF bees. ordinarily hut one Kind
or Flower H. visited OF a trip when
pollen IL being gathered. In gather.
Ing either pollen or honey tn. bccs
come IN contact with tho pollen grains
Of the blossoms. which adhere 90
their hairy bodies and are carried then
90 other flowers visited by them. Ia
passing from flower "a flower some
OF the pollen grain. come In touch
with the tiginas ct each flower visit
'd, which effects cross fertilization
ANA thorough settling of fruits aud
seeds. II ~ thus that the bees pay
ubmduntly. hy their service. for ,hc
treasures tho nectar yielding blossoms
offer them. The aNcccding lntordc-
pcndcncc OF flowers ana insects and
tn" vast necessity OF this has long
been recognized by horticulturists aud
other authorities.
Honey bees are thu most important
distributors of pollen OF all insects
because they appear IN larger mum
hcrs, especially early IN the season.
and their greater activity makes them
more useful Ia the great work they
help to perform II T. Cstimat ii that
the value of honey bees as pollen dis
tributors h far greater 10 our country
than tho value OF the crops OF honey
produced. We owe u to honey bees
that wc have larger quantity aud bet.
ter quality uf fine fruit. vegetables
ana cereal crops than we would 9TH
erWisC have. Of this there b. not
the least doubt since honey bees
are general pollen Lathorcrs appear
IN greater numbers visit fur larger
number of blossoms over q greater
territory ANA do this more thoroughly
than any other insect u h apparent
that they are indeed most valuable
friends to mankind. fact that should
receive more than payEing notice.
In plants or flowers vc have sea
very similar 20 that In animals. aud
II is just AK necessary that Fertilization
take place IN these before fruit can
be borne or seeds developed While
both male aud female sexes exist in
The same Hover ~ many plants. there
are some plants in which the malp
Sex exists Ia one and the female la
another flower OF IA, same plant. and
in sim others euch YEA IN confined
entirely Co one plant ln any case tho
arrangement Is SO that u Is necessary
that the pollen grains from tn am
theirs OF the male part uf one blossom
reach the stigma OF thu female part
of another where they enter into tho
uNulcs within tn blossom aud com.
plcte fertilization. after which the de.
vclopncnt into iIuit or seeds follows.
Without the pollcnation OF the hloH-
som. Fertilization can not take plucs
and tho blossom must Wither ana DE-
instead uf hearing fruit, n this phc.
nomeuou b. kept n mind Il Is possible
to grasp quickly why the agency of
the honey bees gs polienators ~ OF
Immense Importance aud vr can bat
ter understand the examples that
prove absolutely facts that have been
long established. but which are,
as set we'll Understood by compara-
lively few.
Some striking Examples.
Where many varieties of trees are
mixed IN an orchard there is less
trouble from the lack OF proper pot.
lvui1aiion II the weather is warm ana
dry and tho wind can carry the mi.
mute pollen grains from flower 10
flower. but. even under these condi-
lions. visits OF bees make the work
more thorough. such IDEAL conditions
do not always exist This is especial
Is true whore the period OF bloom d.
q long one. n 81 curing conditions
not so perfect when the weather h.
damp ana the pollen sticky ana not
No easily blown about that the jour.
ncying back and forth of the insects
plays a conspicuous part in The pro-
ducing OF harAcsls OF fruit and seeds
II h. also apparent that when certain