116 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 2 



be such as to require little time and money and a rather meager 

 knowledge of practical bee keeping. 



In a recent paper^ I discussed the need and possibilities of apicul- 

 ture and classified the needs as .scientific, economic and educational. 

 The scientific needs are those resulting from a lack of j) roper research 

 along statistical, zoological, botanical, chemical and l^acteriological 

 lines. There is no real line of demarkation between scientific and 

 economic needs, since economic work is but the application of the re- 

 sults of scientific work. The educational work is the presentation of 

 the results of scientific and economic research to the man who needs 

 it. In part of these lines of work at least the economic entomologist 

 may be of the greatest help. 



The furtherance of the work depends largely on a definite knowledge 

 of the present conditions of bee keeping, and to this end the Bureau of 

 Entomology has undertaken the compilation of statistics as to the 

 conditions of bee keeping in Massachusetts. Of the technique used in 

 this work, Mr. Gates will speak more fully. Similar work is being 

 undertaken in Maryland in cooperation with the State Entomologist. 

 The work in ^Massachusetts has already resulted in great good in stir- 

 ring the bee keepers to greater activity, and they are now actively 

 engaged in getting a disease inspection law passed. In Maryland, 

 with the work just begun, a good bee keepers' organization has been 

 established as a direct result of the work. This work is too large an 

 undertaking for the Bureau to undertake in all the states, nor does 

 it seem desirable, for this is work which seems more properly to be- 

 long to the state. The advantage of a detailed knowledge of the 

 present status of the industry, with information as to the honey re- 

 sources, is of inestimable value in planning educational work. This 

 work involves consideralile time and may, therefore, be out of the 

 question for many state entomologists. 



There are, however, several lines of work which suggest themselves. 

 In a paper which I read before this association a year ago," I urged 

 that the state entomologists interest themselves in bee disease work. 

 There is no other line of work in most states that would be of greater 

 help to the industry. The distribution of bee diseases in the state is 

 undoubtedly the best argument which can be used in asking for new 

 laws and where laws already exist this should be definitely determined 

 as an aid to the inspector and as an educational measure. This the 



'Phillips, E. F., 1909. The Status of Apiculture in the United States, Bul- 

 letin No. 75, Part VI. Bui-eau f)f P^ntomology. 



^Phillips, E. F., 1908. Bee Diseases: A Problem in Economic Entomology. 

 Journal of Economic Entomology, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 102-105. 



