February, '17] PHILLIPS: APIARY INSPECTION ' 205 



room for criticism in various states, we must conclude from such an 

 examination that apiary inspection is economically sound and that the 

 expenditure is warranted. 



But, so far, the general approbation of the work has been based on 

 just such general observations, without analyzing the situation care- 

 fully. It is now well, after twenty years of trial, to examine at least 

 some of the available data to make the criticism more valuable. Such 

 an examination cannot be made comparative because of the divergent 

 systems just mentioned and often because of lack of available records. 

 It is entirely just to conclude that where intelligible records are lacking 

 the work is least valuable. To analyze all the available data is an 

 enormous task, which cannot be undertaken at present, but a few 

 specimens may stimulate the administrative offices in this work to 

 apply this test, and it is hoped that the analyses will be published. 

 These results should be announced, even though the results are not all 

 that might be desired, and if possible the results should be interpreted. 

 This is the type of comparison and tabulation which the author recom- 

 mended to this section at the annual meeting in 1915. 



In the Mohawk Valley, New York, European foulbrood broke out 

 in 1894 but it was not until 1899 that apiary inspection was established, 

 as a result of the efforts of the organized beekeepers. The inspectors 

 made an effort to determine the loss in colonies actually destroyed by 

 disease, and, while this record is probably incomplete, they found that 

 colonies valued at $39,487 were reported as lost. In 1899 (the first 

 year of inspection) and successive years to 1904, the loss of colonies 

 that died was given in the 1904 report as follows: 



1895-1899 ; $39,487 



1899 25,420 



1900 20,289 



1901 10,853 



1902 5,860 



1903 4,741 



1904 2,220 



When we consider the fact that in 1900 diseased colonies numbering 

 7,253 were found (valued at perhaps $40,000), it is evident that the 

 disease was spreading with great rapidity and the State of New York 

 made a good investment in establishing inspection whereby the per- 

 centage of diseased colonies was forced down from 23.9 in 1900 to 3.6 

 in 1905. About that time other outbreaks occurred but the per cent 

 of colonies diseased has remained low. 



Perhaps a better but less definite indication of the way in which, 

 through inspection and education, the epidemic has been turned to the 

 advantage of the beekeepers is in a comparison of past and present 



