February, '16] PHILLIPS: APIARY INSPECTION 189 



For a society to undertake improvement in the apiary inspection 

 service is a large problem, in spite of the fact that we all realize the 

 need of improvement in many places. We can scarcely hope to cor- 

 rect such defects as may exist without in some way reaching the men 

 at work in the field and I would therefore respectfully commend for 

 your deliberation the best means of reaching these men. It is im- 

 possible to get all the inspectors and deputies together once a year for 

 a conference because of the great distances to be traveled and the lack 

 of funds to pay their expenses as an official trip. Furthermore, most 

 of the men engaged in the work are not members of the Association of 

 Economic Entomologists and many, not being trained entomologists, 

 are not eligible to membership under the present requirements. It 

 is a pertinent question whether the Association should assume to have 

 a section for such a special phase of economic entomology without 

 making a special requirement to fit that section. Theoretically, it 

 may be admitted that the standards for admission should be kept high, 

 practically, it is a pity for an organization to limit its usefulness by 

 keeping out men who need the help that they might well get from 

 the organization. There is also room for debate on the question 

 whether an organization is strengthened by artificial barriers of ad- 

 mission or whether its entire strength does not lie in its usefulness. 

 The associate list might profitably be increased, in so far as this section 

 is concerned, to include all apiary inspectors who care to join. 



It is not easy to say what is the greatest need in apiary inspection 

 but, after having traveled with a number of the inspectors, I should 

 incline to the view that a reduction in the waste of time and more 

 system in the work are most needed. To spend too much time in 

 helping the individual beekeeper and to visit longer than necessary 

 is a too common fault. In fact, some inspectors do little more than 

 to make a series of visits to the members of the beekeepers' association 

 every 3'ear, thus giving time to men who scarcely need the inspector 

 and depriving others of less opportunity. There is often much waste 

 in flitting from place to place. There is little this section can do to 

 put a stop to these unwise things except to give public utterance to a 

 condemnation of the practice. 



As is well known, the Bureau of Entomology has for several years 

 advised placing the apiary inspection under some already existing 

 office, usually with the State Entomologist. It can be stated without 

 fear of successful contradiction that in states where there is a com- 

 petent experienced supervisor, the results are vastly better than in 

 states where the inspector is a free lance. One important considera- 

 tion is the keeping of adequate inspection records and these will not 

 be properly kept unless there is an established central office. Case 



