THE BEE AND THE BLOOM

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 12 January 1915, Page 3

THE BEE AND THE BLOOM

I Mr E. E Abrarn, Beecroft, wiites to J the "Sydney Daily Telegraph" as folj lows:—"I read with great interest in j your columns Dr B. N. Yates' article on 1 poisonous fruit sprays doing injury to bees. This is not a new subject. Beekeepers for the past f<sw years have _repeateddy tried to get Government assistance to force a law to do away wjth the fruit tree spraying. This year, in particular, bee-farmers have had heavy ■losses amongst their bees during the spraying season. It is not generally recognised or understood that the bees are | necessary to assist in the production of fruit and seeds. Yet repeated experii ence has shown that no bees no fruit, or at the best a very scanty crop, is very true. Blossoms other than self-fertilis-ing depend upon other agencies, "'sUch as insects, for the means of fertilisation, and no other insect can do this better than the bee. Frequently bees are also said : to injure ripe fruit, etc. They do not. Birds, wasps, etc., do that, and when the-juice of the fruit, grapes, etc., is drawn to the damaged part, and is condensed >by the air to a sugar-syrup, then the bees may gather some, but only i fthey cannot get better food elsewhere. I make this appeal in. the interests of both orchardists and bee-keepers. ■§f some other means than poison could be effectively applied it would perhaps be better for both."