116 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 14 



some conditions to produce a pound of wax than is required under others, 

 the results so far obtained have shown such a great variation as to be of 

 Httle value. It would seem to be well worth while to undertake an 

 exhaustive series of experiments under different conditions to secure 

 further light on this point. 



Conditions that control nectar secretion are, perhaps, just now, 

 attracting m^ore attention than any other. Too often the beekeeper 

 looks forward to a bountiful harvest when he sees that an abundant bloom 

 is assured, only to be disappointed. Last fall the Dadant bees were 

 moved for a long distance to the fields of Spanish needle which bloom.ed 

 profusely but yielded little nectar. At the Iowa station, some work 

 along this line has been undertaken and two bulletins have been issued. 

 However, very little is known on this problem which is of first import- 

 ance to the beekeeper. The importance of the project certainly justifies 

 intensive experiments in an effort to ascertain the particular factors 

 which determine the flow of nectar. Enough is known to make it 

 apparent that these vary with different plants. 



In some sections, notably in the Appalachicola River region of Florida 

 and the Uvalde region in Texas, there are times when there is a shortage 

 of natural pollen. At such times the beekeeper finds it hard to build 

 up his colonies in preparation for the honeyflow and sometimes even to 

 keep them alive. Beekeepers generally have an impression that rye 

 meal or similar substances will serve as a substitute for pollen. Those 

 who should be in a position to know, however, state that these are of 

 no value to the bees and may even be injurious. A careful study of this 

 whole problem looking toward finding some way to enable the beekeeper 

 to meet such conditions would be extremely valuable. 



A very long list of problems might be outlined, but the fact is that we 

 know very little about bees as yet, and one does not go far in any direc- 

 tion until he meets a question mark. Because so few trained men have 

 become interested in the subject, our knowledge of equipment .and 

 management is far in advance of our knowledge of fundamentals. 

 With more than thirty institutions taking an interest we may expect 

 that many of these perplexities will be explained. 



Mr. C. O. Smith: I would like to ask if there has ever been any 

 effort to ascertain the cost to the bee of ripening the honey.' 



Mr. Pellett: Not so far as I know. 



Chairman Paddock: We will proceed with the next paper, which is 

 the first number in the s\'mposium on foul brood and is by Mr. S. B. 

 Fracker. 



