DEPARTMENT REPORTS. IGl 



KEI'ORT OF THE STATE INSI»ECTOR OF APIARIES. 



To the Ilouorable The State Board of Agriculture: 



Following is the fourth annual report of the State Inspector of 

 Apiaries for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1917: 



Tlie work of the last fiscal year was interrupted by the resignation 

 on January 1, 1017, of Mr. F. E. Milieu, the former State Inspector of 

 Apiaries. The following summary of the year's work is, therefore, given 

 in two divisions, the lOlG column referring to the work- of the first half 

 of the fiscal year, and the 1917 column referring to the worlv of the last 

 half of the ti.scal year. 



1910 1917 



Number of apiaries visited 77 208 



Number of aj^iaries in wliicli disease was found .... 27 101 



Number of colonies inspected 814 2302 



Number of colonies afl'ected with American F. B.. .113 165 



Number of oolonies affected with European F. B.. . 85 81 



Number of diseased colonies destroj^ed 1 01 



Number of demonstration meetings No record 3 



The following queen-breeders' yards have been inspected and certificates 

 granted : 



& 



Jay Cowing, Jenisou. 



J. H. Haughey, Berrien Springs. 



M. H. Hunt, Bedford. 



E. A. Lefifingwell, Allen. 



E. E. Mott, Glen wood. 



The law passed in 1913 authorizing the appointment of the State 

 Inspector of Apiaries was amended by the last legislature and the 

 appropriation was increased by |1, 500.00. This becomes eii'ective July 1, 

 1917. The appointment of deputy inspectors was also authorized. Two 

 deputies have been secured and they will begin their work early in 

 Jul}'. Much more work will be accomplished than under the previous 

 law. The number of requests for inspection has been so large that 

 even with two assistants it will not be possible to answer all calls for 

 help. Foul-brood has become scattered through probably every coUnty 

 in the state in which the production of honey is an industry of any im- 

 portance. In every county in which more than one apiary has been 

 inspected, disease has been found. An attempt was made last winter 

 to estimate the probable proceeds of the beekeeping industry in Michi- 

 gan. As nearly as could be ascertained, the annual production of wax 

 and honey amounts in value to about one million dollars. The future 

 of beekeeping depends upon how Avell foul-brood is controlled. 



Respectfully submitted, 



B. F. KINDIG, 

 State Inspector of Apiaries. 



East Lansing, Mich., June 30, 1917. 

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