The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1921-03-04

Bees in the Orchard or No Fruit
Just about now you are figuring
your apple profits for the year. Your
figure should be encouraging, but II
not, chances are you had q poor yield
Maybe this article will explain why
your trees didn't set fruit. Above is
the apiary at Iowa Experiment Station
where many experiments with bees
and fruit have been carried on.Or-
chard Editor.
Fruit growers, more than any other
group of people, are benefited by
bees in the pollination of fruits is not
fully appreciated even by scientists.
It is generally believed that the
wind is very prominent factor in the
pollination of most of our common
plants, but this is true only with such
plants as corn, grasses and certain
native trees. In all such cases the
pollen is light and very abundant and
is scattered broadcast by the wind.
Fruit. growers, however, are princi-
pally interested in the proper pollina-
ton of fruit trees and plants, and
where the pollen is too heavy and
sticky to be carried by the wind 1t
must be transferred by a special car
rier
Only recently have tests been made
showing conclusively that insects are
necessary to insure fruit crop. Prof.
G. j. Lewis, of Oregon, took number
of plates coated with vaseline and
placed them at various distances from
an apple tree in bloom, and other
plates at different heights from the
ground near the tree.
After a strong wind the plates We're
examined for pollen, and none was
found. This clearly indicates that no
cross-pollination is likely to occur in
an apple orchard by means OF the
wind; and this is probably true with
other deciduous fruits.
Certain varieties of fruits are almost
completely se1f-sterile: that is, they
are unable to set and mature fruits
by means of their own pollen. the
average fruit grower does not realize
the extent of selfsterility among the
varieties Of our common fruits, or the
importance of s-pollination for
successful fruit production.
In study of efghty-seven common
varieties of apples at the Oregon Ex-
pertinent Station majority proved
to be self-sterile or, in other words,
required cross ollination Also. fruits
secured by -pollination were usu-
ally larger and of better quality than
fruits secured by self-pollination.
Fletcher. of the Virginia Experiment
Station, has determined similar re-
suits with pears.
The self-sterility of certain groups
and varieties OF plums was known
even before the general facts We're
established in regard to apples. Cher
ries, ounces and other tree fruits, un-
doubtedly follow the same general
rule Peaches are an exception and
are in general self-fertile. but may
possibly be benefited by cross-pollina-
ton. Some varieties of strawberries
require cross-pollination.
Cranberries are now added to the
list. from studies made by DR.. H. j..
Franklin at East Wareham, Mass.
Plots of an equal size were selected
in cranberry bog; one was screened
to exclude all bees and insects which
might pollinate the flowers, while
the other was left unscreened The
screened plot matured two and two
thirds quarts Of cranberries, while the
other plot accessible to bees and other
insects matured twelve times as
many.
Further proof Of the need Of bees
in the poll1natlon or our fruits is clear
" indicated by an experiment by DR..
T. j. Headlee with Winesap apples in
Kansas, Two trees of equal vigor
were collected in an orchard contain
ing several hives Of bees Just before
the flowers opened. cagel was erect
ed over each tree, and a colony Of
bees was placed under one of the
cages The other cage barred all in
sects from the outside atmosphere.
The tree Gagged without the bees did
not set single fruit, while the tree
about which the bees were enclosed
set 225 fruits. The other trees in the
orchard set from 5000 to 10000 fruits
each, many more than they could car
~, thus indicating not only the value
of the bees as pOlliniZerS but also the |