330 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



prices following the close of the war brought on a serious situation 

 for the beekeeping industry of the country, and in the fall of 1921 

 the honey market of the country was in a deplorable condition, due 

 to the great increase in production since 1917 and to the economic 

 condition of the country. An interesting development arose from 

 the fact that the majority of the beekeepers of the country were 

 unable to sell their 1921 crop through the usual wholesale channels, 

 and to prevent a total loss many of them undertook to sell directly 

 to consumers. More honev was sold in this wav during the fall and 

 following winter than ever before in the history of American bee- 

 keeping, 'and the prices obtained for the honey were much better 

 than could have been obtained in the usual markets. This method 

 of selling also resulted in many people buying honey who did not 

 do so previousl}^, and in this way much permanent good resulted 

 to beekeeping. The rather remarkable results are shown by the 

 fact that not only was the whole of the 1921 crop sold, but a con- 

 siderable amount of honey left over from 1920 also disappeared. 

 There was little help from manufacturers, who sometimes use honey 

 in the making of cakes and candies, and the housewives of the 

 country used the honey which was sold. This offers a ray of hope 

 to the specialist beekeeper who fears the changes in wholesale prices, 

 in that he has found it possible to sell large crops directly to the 

 consumer. While there will doubtless be an increase in the facilities 

 for handling honey at wholesale, and perhaps a still larger increase 

 in the bottling of honey by commercial establishments, it is com- 

 forting to the beekeepers of the country to know that the^^ are 

 largely independent of such development. 



INSECT PEST SURVEY. 



J. A. Hyslop has continued in charge of this branch of the 

 bureau's work since its inception in March. 1921. The survey has 

 now been in operation 16 months. It has filled the need that has 

 long been felt among entomological w^orkers for a medium through 

 which they could be kept more closely in touch with the insect con- 

 ditions in the various parts of the country, and for a permanent 

 record of these conditions correlated with the prevailing meteorologi- 

 cal conditions from year to year. 



During 1921 the survey completed Volume I of its monthly bul- 

 letins, which consisted of 7 numbers and an index. Volume I con- 

 tained 285 pages of subject matter with a 31-page index. Five num- 

 bers of Volume II have already been issued and the annual sum- 

 mary of the insect conditions throughout the United States for the 

 3'ear 1921 is now in press. The annual summary contains 51 pages 

 of subject matter illustrated with 28 text figures showing the geo- 

 graphical distribution of the insects discussed and the meteorologi- 

 cal conditions associated with the several outbreaks reviewed. 



During the year over 6,000 notes have been received on insect 

 conditions. These notes relate to 716 different species of insects 

 representing 567 genera. 



The work of the survey has attracted considerable attention not 

 only from entomologists but from produce exchanges and informa- 

 tion bureaus on produce futures. The agricultural press is also 

 utilizing the information made available bv the survey. 



