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Article: Virginia Farmers Buzz Over Benefits of Bees.
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
- Article date:
- June 11, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
Jun. 11 -- COURTLAND, Va. -- The buzz in farming circles these days is about using honey bees for pollination.
So what's new? This: these bees aren't wild. They're imported for a week or two into a farmer's field. They spread a little pollen; then, they go home.
It's an experiment taking place this week in Mike Marks' cantaloupe field in Southampton County. Marks, like many farmers, is fighting declining prices for traditional crops, like peanuts and cotton, and relying more on profitable fruits and vegetables.
If the experiment works, he can expect perhaps a 25 percent increase in his yield.