6?8 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



to eradicate such troubles. (2.) He should know how to improve his 

 stock by keeping careful records of each colony and rooting out the 

 poorer queens and propagating from only the best. (3.) He should 

 know how to keep bees and at the same time avoid difficulties with 

 neighbors. A section of honey occasionally handed over the line 

 fence will be found one of the best remedies for bee stings or laun- 

 dry soiled by early flight, and will insure privilege of entering other 

 premises to reclaim departed swarms. (4.) He should know where 

 and how to secure his supplies, what to use and how to use it, and he 

 should understand the importance of using uniform and inter- 

 changeable parts in the entire apiary. (5.) He should have a system 

 of marketing, the basis of which was expressed by one who said, 

 "I place the best honey on the outside of the shipping case, and then 

 fill all the rest of the space with just the same grade." He should 

 have a regular market and develop this by the excellence of his pro- 

 duct, his method of shipping, and especially by having his name 

 and address plainly stamped or printed on each package. He should 

 increase the consumption of honey by using it himself at hotels and 

 public places, showing that he has faith in the virtue of his own pro- 

 duct. By calling for honey at hotels and having his friends do the 

 same, he can aid in increasing the demand upon merchants or bee- 

 keepers for good honey. (7.) He should co-operate with the U. S. 

 Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Apiculture, take advantage 

 of Prof. Benton's good work, and plant seeds of honey-bearing plants, 

 not only such as may be found in our own State, but also such as are 

 sent to us occasionally for experimental purposes. (8.) He should 

 understand the necessity of union in such an organization as ours, 

 and even though he may keep but a few bees, he should be with us 

 for the good we are trying to do. (!).) He should understand the im- 

 portance of legislation in behalf of the neglected subject of bee- 

 keeping in this State and endeavor to induce his legislators to take 

 such action as will aid to place us upon such safe footing as that 

 held by some of our neighboring states. 



IV. Education of Legislation. — The legislators of our State should 

 understand that honey production is an agricultural factor not to 

 be despised in a state which contains twenty-eight thousand bee- 

 keepers, maintaining one hundred and sixty-one thousand colonies 

 or hives of bees, and ranking fourth in the union in the number of 

 colonies and fifth in the number of pounds of honey produced. This 

 is without impetus from any source, and the possibilities of our State 

 in this direction are immense. However, our industry is threatened 

 by a serious disease that is killing our bees as a blight and a scourge. 

 We ask legislators not only to aid us in legislating against adul- 

 terated honey and other food-stuffs, but also in granting us a State 

 Inspector of Apiaries and a system of inspection, such as has proven 

 so efficient in wiping out this dreaded disease from several other 

 states in the Union. Only by serious and united effort can we hope 

 to succeed. 



