Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1914-05-22
ALFALFA WITHOUT BEES
But Bee is Important in "Trip
ping" the Alfalfa Flower

certain locations. as in northern Mon
tana, bees are very scarce but alfalfa
will often produce good crops of seed
without their aid. A crop of alfalfa
seed is never obtained except when
the flowers have been ''tripped, "
which term describes the swapping
back of part of the flower in such
way as to deposit pollen on the
stigma. Production of seed usually
results from this. action. Bees in
search of honey or pollen "trip
some of the flowers. but there are two
other ways in which the action may
be performed. In some cases the
flower will "trip" itself automati-
cally las it does in Montana). if the
climatic conditions are satisfactory,
or the flowers may be "tripped" arti-
fcially by human agency.
Of the three agencies that may
"trip the alfalfa flower only the in
sect naturally carries the pollen from
flower to flower. AS pods form in
artificially tripped flowers it is evident
that flowers do not necessarily need
pollen from others in order to become
fortified. Moderately warm weather
interspersed with cool nights is con-
dition that seems peculiarly favorable
in aiding flowers to "Trip" them
selves. When the weather cools off
the flowers do not "trip" so readily.
Investigations have shown, however.
that pollen brought from other flowers
will produce more pods than does the
flower that is self.fertilized. Thirty
per cent of the flowers certified
with their own pollen produce pods.
, while ga per cent fertilized with
pollen from other plants produce
pods. In the former case the pods
each contain on an average of ia
seeds while in the latter they con-
| tain "a seeds.
HONEY BEE OF LITTLE AID TO
/ ALFALFA SEED CROP.
Investigations of the United States
Department of Agriculture have
shown that mistaken notion has been
held regarding the kinds of bees that
aid alfalfa seed. While .leaf-cutter'
bees will "trip about 90 per cent
of the flowers they visit, and humble
bees about so per cent, "a honey bee
trip only 5 per cent of the flowers it
visits, the great number of such bees
that can be kept on an alfalfa field,
taken in connection with their activity,
compensate for the low efficiency of
each bee.
The wild bees that are most efficient
in tripping do not store up honey of
commercial value, nor is there any
way known of holding them perm
anentiy in any locality.
Certain investigators have thought
that some species of bee from the
native land of alfalfa might prove
more valuable than others. If such
could be found and introduced, the
yield of alfalfa seed might be materi-
ally increased. There are so, many
different kinds of bees in different
parts of the world that there is con-
siderable room for experiment.
The principal growers of American
alfalfa seed are located in eastern
Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Utah anC
Montana. In the East the marke,
for alfalfa hay is so attractive that
there is little interest in growing al.
falfa seed. However, there is a good
field in certain states for increased
production of seed, as there are still
heavy importations of inferior seeC
from foreign countries. Over $676,
600 worth of seed was imported ir
1913. Beside alfalfa growers in the
states already mentioned, those in the
Dakotas and Minnesota might consider
the question of increasing our native
output of alfalfa seed.
The U. S. Department of Agricul
ture has just issued a bulletin (No
75) entitled "Alfalfa Seed Produc
tion; Pollinatior Studies Thi
pamphlet is professional paper. ant
describes great detail certain ex
periments that were carried on il
Montana. Washington, California
and other states 1t is of interes
more particularly to scientific readers