284 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 9 



We find, according to Dr. Phillips of the Bureau of Entomology of 

 the U. S. Department of Agriculture, that next to Texas, Missouri is in 

 the lead as regards the number of colonies of bees. In round numbers 

 we have 40,000 farmers and others keeping bees with a total of 203,569 

 colonies. It is with the problems of these forty thousand beekeepers, 

 who have on an average five colonies each, that we are now vitally 

 concerned in order to help make, if possible, not 25 per cent but 100 

 per cent of the total number of colonies self-supporting and profitable. 



Of all the important subjects confronting us the one which seems 

 most vital and in need of first attention is the whole question of bee 

 pasturage. Our honey flows are usually very short and some seasons 

 dry weather shuts them off suddenly when they may not open again 

 until late in the fall. These are the conditions which make beekeeping 

 such a gamble; especially in case of large apiaries. The following 

 questions are a few which we hope to solve within the next few years: 

 How many colonies of bees can one profitably keep under different 

 surroundings in this state? What are our important honey plants? 

 What agricultural crops can we hope to use for bee pasturage? How 

 can we make use of much of our waste lands for beekeeping? Is it 

 possible to keep a few colonies of bees with profit in spite of unfavorable 

 seasons as regards honey flow? Some of these questions have already 

 been touched upon but further investigation of them is necessary. 

 Some of these investigations will be carried on in cooperation with our 

 more progressive and observing beekeepers while the more technical 

 studies will be undertaken in the department apiary on the college 

 farm at Columbia. 



Rocky hillsides, unfit even for blue grass pasture, will be worked 

 over and used for growing different plants of possible value as bee 

 pasture. Thousands of acres of Missouri hills now lie idle, much of 

 which may under proper treatment serve as profitable bee pasture. 

 Along with the investigations of waste lands for bee pasture, tillable 

 plots will be used for growing cultivated and wild plants which show 

 promise of proving of value as bee pasture. Our principal honey crop, 

 white clover, is too susceptible to our hot dry spells in early summer 

 and if possible some other crop should be found to serve as a substitute 

 for white clover under unfavorable seasons. Sweet clover or "bee 

 clover" as some call it, has already shown promise under our condi- 

 tions and it will be investigated thoroughly. 



In cooperation with Missouri beekeepers and the recently incor- 

 porated Missouri Apicultural Society, the Entomological Department 

 of the University hopes to be able to help develop and direct a more 

 intelligent and a more profitable system of beekeeping in the state. 

 In the future, in this state we must have more intelligent, intensive and 

 less extensive beekeeping. 



