No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 513 



few things along this line that it is necessary to know. The first 

 requisite in the wintering of bees is to have pure honey and in order 

 to do that it is necessary to have sufficient granulated sugar to 

 winter them on. If you could take away all bee-bread and fix 

 them on a granulated sugar diet they will stand a long winter much 

 better. My bees were not able to put their head out of the hive 

 until last week one day, during all the winter, and that is too long. 

 If there is any honey dew and the bees eat that during the winter 

 they have to get out of doors and fly or they will get the dysentery 

 and will die. If they don't get the dysentery they will stand it 

 quite a long while. The main thing is to prevent a draft in the hive, 

 that is, leaving your hive in the top, part open, so that the cold air 

 passing through is carried off from the hive. Cold is the worst 

 thing you can add. They winter better in a tree than in a hive ; but 

 flie question is with reference to our patent hives. You will allow 

 a draft to pass through unless you put in a cushion. 



The SECKETARY: I am sure w^e are glad to have this verbal 

 report from the committee, and I know this report will be appre- 

 ciated if it is in some more tangible form; therefore, I move that the 

 chairman be requested to prepare a written report for the files of 

 the Board. 



(The following written report was forwarded by Mr. Nelson to the 

 Secretary:) 



REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON APIARY. 



BY J. W. NELSOx/'f'/iKirHMOi. 



In making this, my first annual report as chairman of the Com- 

 mittee on Apfary, I will have to be brief, as the pr(^ssure of other 

 work has prevented me from giving the industry the attention it 

 deserves. 



I do not think the Department gives this branch of agriculture 

 the recognition its importance demands. Aside from the very 

 important office of the pollenization of plants and flowers, the in- 

 dustry represents an outlay of many million dollars, and if prop- 

 erly managed is probably the best paying of any of the branches 

 of agriculture, either as a side issue or a specialty, in ordinary 

 years paying as high as 100 per cent, on capital invested. In the 

 twenty-four years I have been in the business there has been but 



33—6—1903 



