252 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



1-2 EDWARD VII., A. 1902 



white and conspicuous. The hind wings are fuscous. A detailed scientific description 

 of this moth -will be published by Prof. Smith.* 



The moths appear at the end of August, and in the early part of September. 

 Specimens reared in confinement and those taken under natural conditions appeared 

 about the same time. I*] 1 to the present this species has not been taken in any other 

 locality than in the peat bog above mentioned, but, judging from the devastation and 

 the large number of larvsB which were collected by three of us in about an hour, this 

 species might at any time develop into an injurious forest tree pest. The caterpillars, 

 although well protected by their mottled appearance when on the trees, have the inter- 

 esting habit of leaving the branches during the day time and hiding deep down in the 

 sphagnum moss at the base, where they in some instances penetrate to the depth of G 

 or 8 inches. The moths in nature were found by Mr. Young to rest beneath the 

 (branches and were strikingly protected by the resemblance of their mottled closed 

 wings to protuberances on the bark of the branches. 



THE APIAEY. 



The Apiary, under the management of Mr. John Fixter, has been tolerably suc- 

 cessful during the past season, both as to yield and as to the interest evinced by visi- 

 tors. The season has been a fair one for honey, and prices have been good. An evi- 

 dence of the value of bees in orchards was provided by the poor crop of apples in 

 western Ontario. It was noted by many fruit-growers that during the time that apple 

 trees were in blossom there were no bees flying, and, as a consequence, little fruit was 

 fertilized. 



The colonies at the Central Experimental Farm Apiary were housed for the win- 

 ter in good condition and, as far as can be judged at this date, are wintering well. 

 Several meetings of bee-keepers were attended by Mr. Fixter, where he delivered 

 addresses on practical apiculture and took an active part in the discussions. I myself 

 was honoured by being invited to be one of the three speakers to represent the Na- 

 tional Bee-keepers' Association of America at the first joint meeting of the bee-keepers 

 and the American Pomologieal Society. This important meeting was held at Buffalo 

 on September 13 and 14, during the Pan-American Exposition. The title of my 

 address on this occasion, by request of the association, was ' How flowers are fertilized, 

 with special reference to the Honey Bee.' This was in connection with the subject 

 which had recently been so keenly discussed, whether bees could injure ripe fruit, when 

 the skin of this was unbroken. During the past season, Mr. Fixter, at my request, 

 has carried out a few experiments to test this question. These, as far as they go, are 

 of considerable interest and tend to exonerate bees from all blame in this matter. 



REPORT OF MR. JOHN FIXTER* 



The season of 1901 has been a pretty good one for bee-keepers. Ontario reports 

 ehow little or no disease among bees. There has been plenty of swarming, and stocks 

 have been strong and active. But for the hot weather of July an immense yield would 

 doubtless have been recorded. The average yield, however, will not exceed 50 pounds 

 per colony. Some excellent basswood honey is reported and a fair share of clover 

 honey. Quebec reports mention some excellent returns, some as high as 100 pounds 

 per colony ; the average will probably be 75 pounds. The colonies are in splendid con- 

 dition for wintering. 



Returns from the Central Experimental Farm Apiary average 6S sections or 79J 

 pounds of extracted honey per colony. 



•Since the above was written this description has appeared. See Can. fJnt., XXXIV., p. 29. 



