598 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



county fair in the state and asked that the industry be given the 

 same consideration that is offered to other branches of agricul- 

 tural activity. This has already resulted in greatly increased 

 premiums at many county fairs and cannot but be of much help 

 in stimulating interest in bee keeping. 



DECREASE IN BEES. 



From the census report the fact is well established that there 

 has been a great falling off in the number of farmer bee keepers 

 taking the United States as a whole. At the same time there has 

 not been anything like a corresponding decrease in the number 

 of colonies of bees. This indicates that those who continue to 

 keep bees are specializing to a greater extent and keeping more 

 bees. The presence of bee diseases is undoubtedly largely re- 

 sponsible for this condition, killing off as it does the bees of the 

 careless apiarist. 



The work of inspection can best be done early in the season, 

 but as our appropriation is not available until Jlily first the work 

 must of necessity be somewhat prolonged. There is now avail- 

 able the sum of fifteen hundred dollars annually for inspection of 

 bees. At the convention of the bee keepers association of Iowa 

 in December, 1912, it was decided to ask for an appropriation of 

 ten thousand dollars yearly for this work. The amount asked for 

 was based on the fact that disease was then known to be present 

 in thirty-three counties, or more than one-third of the area of 

 the state with probably fifteen thousand bee keepers residing in 

 these counties. At least this amount would be necessary if the 

 State was to undertake the task of eliminating the bee diseases 

 known as American and European foul brood. In my opinion, 

 however, it would be unwise at present for the State to undertake 

 such a gigantic task. Rather should the present appropriation be 

 used to meet emergencies, to do thorough work in such neighbor- 

 hoods as extensive honey producing interests are seriously 

 threatened. 



The most important thing to be attempted, in my opinion, is 

 extensive educational work. Once the bee keepers come to under- 

 stand the serious nature of these diseases, how to recognize them, 

 and the proper treatment, the inspector's services will be much 

 less needed. It may, and quite likely will, be necessary to ask for 

 some increase in the present amount at some future time, but as 

 yet sufficient time has not elapsed since undertaking the present 



