The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-09-03
HELPFUL INsEC CTS
By Frederic j. Haskin.


Without the humble humble bee
there would not exis. a single clover
field in the United States. Uncle Sam
knows this for he has recently made
very great effort to raise clover in
the Philippines where there we're NO
humble bees and has failed. That is
ne failed until he mobiliedz an army
Of these creatures ol the buzz and the
sting. and transported them to the
Islands Of the far East and set them
to work In the clover fields. Now,
thanks to their activities, clover
grows as abundantly there as anybody
could wish.
The humble bee belongs to that
family OF insects that makes itself
useful by carrying the pollen from
one lower to another and by that act,
fertilizing those flowers. 1t is a pi,,.
Vision OF nature that no flower is suf-
I,hcient unto itself. If paper bag is
put over one of them and It is there
tore shut or into world by Itself It
VIII bloom as prettily. run 1t custo-
mary course, wither and die as It
would II left in the open. But no
seeds will result rofm its towering.
This Is because, to serve its pur-
pose Of developing seed. 1t must re-
ceive the pollen from some other flow
er OF It's kind and in that may be made
fertile. There are certain blossoms
that are thus fortified by having the
pollen blown from one to the other.
But there are more that need to call
one of natures messengers and spe-
officially send their little package.
The Busiest GO-Betweens.
The busiest go-betweens for such
flowers are the bees. To induce these
creatures to perform their vital err
rand, the flowers keep on hand a
goodly supply Of sweets. The bees
come for the sweets and, while they
are feeding upon them the flowers
stick the pollen all over their legs.
When they wipe their feet on the door
mat OF the next flower, they leave
some OF this pollen. 1t makes the de-
velopment OF the seed possible.
When Americans went into the
philippines they carried with them
clover seed from their former homes.
They planted these seeds on the fer
tile acres of the islands and they took
root and grew. They blossomed and
there was the odor of the clover field
In the land. But the blossoms fell off
and there was no seed resulting. Tho
clover fields were not able TO re-seed
and perpetuate themselves. Under
these conditions clover might not be
cultivated in this new land beneath
the flag. The experts investigated the
situation and finally found that tine
failure was due to the fact that there
were no humble bees to visit socially
from one flower to another in the
clover fields Of the far Pacific.
When the trouble was discovered II
was decided that these insects should
follow the flag The United States
government went to a great deal Of
trouble In collecting bundle bees ,or
the purpose. Great nests of them
were captured in the winter season
during which time they slumber for
months. They were packed in tcs
mat they might continue in the belief
lnat 1t was still cold despite their
Journey into the tropics. When they
arrived In the islands they were al
lowed to warm and awake. Thew
.nought summer had come. They weny
forth into the barren clover fields and
dfd their work OF fertilization. They
llultiplied and became plentiful. Now
Clover may be grown as well in the
fhlhppines as In the United States.
An Interesting Trip.
inc most. interesting case OF tiny
insects helping man to grow a great
crop was that OF a wasp about fhe
size OF gnat, without whidh none Of
US would ever taste those delicious
dried figs of the Smyrna variety. So
banning was the problem Of the WORK
done by this insect that 1t required
twenty-five years OF scientific work ia
solve it. Until 1t was solved It was
impossible to grow Smyrna figs in
america and millions of pounds were
every year imported from that region
at the east end OF the Mediterranean
which has been the scene of much
lighting between the TURKS and French
and British.
Before Jameston or plymouth Rock
were settled the Spanish panres
pushed their way into what Is now
New Mexico and California. rney
gave the natives many new crops and
taught them how to farm. Among
these were figs, crop which fitted
into the conditions Of the southwest
and that have grown abundantly ever
since.
California sought to market the figs
that grew so abundantly on its farms,
but found 1t impossible to compete
with superior varieties from Smyrna.
California Immediately decided that
the right thing to do under the cir
cumstances was to introduce the smyr-
ma fig and grow It instead Of the va
rieties that 1t was then trying to mar
ket 1t was in 1880 that $4,000 choice
cuttings Of fig trees were brought
from Smyrna and distributed and
planted throughout California. They
responded to the climate and soil and
grew prodigously. California con-
graduated itself as the year passed
until the trees were old enough to
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