February, '14] HASEMAN: BEE-KEEPING AND APIARY INSPECTION 97 



association, though it includes a number of enthusiastic members. 

 At their various annual meetings interesting papers on bee-keeping 

 have been given, and they have helped in many ways to improve 

 conditions of bee-keeping in this state. One of the most important 

 results of their work was the passage of the present Apiary Inspection 

 Law. A number of attempts were made before they finally succeeded 

 in securing the support of the legislature in passing the law. The 

 law is very brief in form, but gives the necessary authority for inspec- 

 tion and cleaning up diseased apiaries. Unfortunately the funds for 

 this work have never been anything like adequate for the ground that 

 needed covering, and consequently the work of the Inspector has 

 been much restricted. From his annual reports it seems a consider- 

 able area is covered each year, and a great many diseased colonies 

 are discovered and treated. Considering the area of the state of 

 Missouri and the extent of the bee interests at least five thousand 

 dollars ought to be available for this work, but in no case in the past 

 has there been more than twelve or fifteen hundred dollars available 

 for meeting the expenses of inspection and the salary of the Inspector. 



The University and i^gricultural Experiment Station have just 

 recently undertaken some special work in bee-keeping. Realizing 

 the necessity of information and assistance along the line of practical 

 bee-keeping, courses are being offered, and investigations are planned 

 for studying the best methods of handling bees in Missouri, and special 

 investigations of more scientific problems which have not yet been 

 full}^ worked out with bees will be undertaken. The writer has been 

 attempting to expand the work of the entomological department so as 

 to make it cover all lines of entomological work and thereby increase 

 its usefulness. This is one of the more important recent lines taken 

 up, and every effort will be made to improve bee-keeping in this 

 state. There is a growing demand for information and assistance 

 with bee-keeping in this state, and it is a duty of the Experiment 

 Station to encourage and help out with this work. 



The Apiary Inspection work is under the supervision of the State 

 Board of Agriculture and it is to be hoped that that Board will give 

 further assistance to the bee-keepers and help to further improve 

 conditions. The Station will cooperate in every way possible with 

 the Board to place Missouri bee-keeping on an equal footing with 

 that industry in other states. The Experiment Station hopes soon 

 to be able to prepare helpful reports on the care of the home apiary 

 and for handling commercial apiaries in this state. 



