252 AN wo AI. REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICTJLTURE. 



meetings of beekeepers in 34 States, reaching over 25,000 beekeepers, 

 and, in addition, they have visited 1,198 apiaries and have given per- 

 sonal instruction to the owners regarding their be^ekeeping practices. 

 An important part of the work has been the organization of the bee- 

 keepers in various counties into local associations for the betterment 

 of beekeeping conditions. During the year 84 such associations were 

 formed and plans are made for a considerable number of others to 

 be perfected during the coming year. 



An interesting and valuable phase of the extension work consists 

 of reports on conditions pertaining to beekeeping in the various coun- 

 ties visited by the field staff. These are filed geographically and 

 have already served as a valuable guide in planning the work of the 

 field men. In time these reports, which are made incidentally as the 

 men go about their work, will serve as a survey of the beekeeping con- 

 ditions throughout the country. These reports are also furnished the 

 extension divisions, thus malring the information available to the 

 State men engaged in the promotion of the beekeeping industry. 



During the first part of the fiscal year a number of mimeograph 

 circulars were sent to beekeepers direct, especially some urging that 

 better care be given the bees during the winter. As the field force 

 was enlarged this part of the work was discontinued, but it is be- 

 lieved that these circulars were the means of doing a great deal of 

 good in calling to the attention of beekeepers the necessity of in- 

 creasing the honey crop as a war measure. The practical advice 

 given also served to bring about better conditions among those bee- 

 keepers who may be reached by that method, but obviously the per- 

 sonal contact of the field men is more effective. 



In order to provide information regarding various practices of 

 practical beekeeping two bulletins have been prepared during the 

 year. Farmers' Bulletin 503 on comb honey has been revised and a 

 new Farmers' Bulletin on the transferring of bees to modern hives 

 (No. 961) has been issued. The latter bulletin will be especially ap- 

 plicable in certain parts of the country where modern methods have 

 not been much practiced, but where the extension men have been at 

 work. In view of the necessity of providing the field force with addi- 

 tional help and especially of the need of more practical literature on 

 beekeeping, several additional popular bulletins are projected. 



In addition to these publications there have been prepared during 

 the year two publications showing the need of more honey during 

 the war emergency. One of these appeared in the 1917 Yearbook of 

 the department and another as Circular No. 87 of the Office of the 

 Secretary. The Bureau of Crop Estimates also contributed a bulletin 

 (Department Bulletin 685) giving statistics concerning the beekeep- 

 ing industry which is of help i» the same way. As a part of this 

 phase of the work several press notices were prepared and also sev- 

 eral papers for publication outside the department. 



Wintering of bees. — The investigational phases of this problem 

 have largely been abandoned because of the press of work incident 

 to the war, but practical observations have been continued which 

 serve fully to substantiate the results of former years. The winter 

 of 1917-18 was one of the worst ever recorded, and the loss of bees 

 throughout the country was enormous, yet those colonies which had 

 been prepared in accordance with the recommendations of the bureau 



