460 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



great whirls which are called general storms are supposed'^to be 

 caused by polar and equatorial currents. They cover large areas, 

 move slowly and take many days to develop. Small storms called 

 tornados or cyclones, sometimes causing waterspouts generally visit 

 limited areas and sometimes do great damage. From what has been 

 sail it is seen that many people are working on the weather problem. 

 Predictions are sent out by the Weather Bureau forecasting the 

 weather for 24 or 48 hours. These are every year becoming more 

 accurate. Yet in certain localities they often fail. This may be due 

 to local conditions which the farmer might, by observation, be able 

 to determine and so by the help of the Weather Bureau's forecast 

 be able to predict the changes which were likely to follow. 



KEPORT OF APIARIST 



By PROF. H. C. KLINGER 



The year just past has been a failure in the production of honey in 

 this State, and almost the same throughout the whole country. 

 Everywhere there seemed to be a profusion of flowers during the 

 season, but the wet and cool weather prevented the secretion of nectar. 

 The timely help of the Asters late in the Fall in some of the sections 

 of the State saved the expense of buying sugar for Winter feeding. 

 Where these flowers did not exist, colonies had to be fed to keep 

 them from staravtion. This is the second year of failure in succes- 

 sion, but the average bee-keeper is always hopeful and already sees 

 indications of a good crop in 1916. The wet Summer started an 

 abundance of clover, and the moderate Winter weather which already 

 gave two flights to the bees both point to a successful Summer. 



At present there is possibly no subject so absorbing and perhaps 

 alarming to the apiarist as the bee diseases now so prevalent and 

 virulent in the State — that of American and European Foul Brood. 

 Notwithstanding the fact that the State inspectors have been waging 

 war against the spread of the diseases, the scope of their work is so 

 large that it will require several years before the State is under 

 entire control. 



Thousands of colonies have been inspected during the year, and in 

 a number of counties where the disease was not known a year ago, 

 hundreds of colonies in as many apiaries were found infected and 

 many in a hopeless, rotten condition. Under present conditions no 

 one can feel safe that one or the other form of disease will not make 

 its appearance any time during the season. 



The European type is know to have spread over a distance of 

 more than 50 miles in a single season. It is absolutely important 

 that every bee-keeper becomes informed with all available knowledge 

 pertaining to the subject and stands ready to combat the disease on 

 its approach. As in the fight against the San Jos6 scale that infected 

 the fruit trees, those who were willing to be guided by knowledge 

 and led by instruction came out of it with healthy trees and fine 

 wholesome fruit; and it seemed that their trouble was a blessing in 



