412 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 9 



mental Farm at Brandon, Man. In the autmnn of 1893 an experi- 

 mental apiary was instituted at the Central Experimental Farm at 

 Ottawa, and Mr. John Fixter, who was then farm foreman, was placed 

 in charge of it. In the autumn of 1912 Mr. F. W. L. Sladen was ap- 

 pointed Assistant Entomologist for Apiculture in the Division of 

 Entomology and, when on April 1, 1914, this Division became a separate 

 branch of the Department of Agriculture, the bee experimental work 

 became a separate Division of the Experimental Farms Branch. 



The work undertaken by the Bee Division is entirely experimental 

 and consists (1) of experimental work at the Central Farm, Ottawa, 

 and (2) experimental work at the Branch Experimental Farms. 



Bees are now kept on thirteen of the Dominion Experimental Farms. 

 Usually the man in charge of the poultry looks after the bees. We 

 find that it is necessary for him to examine the colonies on a certain day 

 every week during the swarming season. It has been demonstrated 

 that bees can be kept profitably at all of these Farms, although at 

 Nappan in Nova Scotia the wintering problem has been found some- 

 what difficult, both on account of unwholesome stores gathered by the 

 bees and the long winter with its sudden changes in temperature. 

 The principal work is now, therefore, investigating the sources of 

 honey, its quantity, quality and period of production, variation from 

 year to year, etc., the object being to give, eventually, reliable informa- 

 tion as to the profitableness of beekeeping for beekeepers who dwell 

 or settle in the regions served by the different Farms, which cover al- 

 most the whole of the settled parts of Canada. Hives are kept on 

 scales and the daily weights recorded. When substantial increases in 

 weight are noted, investigations are made in the field to discover the 

 source of the nectar. Samples of the honey are taken from the supers 

 from time to time. It is being recognized that much of this work will 

 have to be done in summer out-apiaries situated at some distance from 

 the Farms, and this development was begun this year on several of 

 the Farms. Some interesting results have already been obtained at 

 some of the Experimental Farms, for instance, alfalfa has proved a 

 valuable source of honey in Southern Alberta. 



The best kind of winter and spring protection required to produce 

 good results, and the best methods of spring and summer management 

 and of swarm control at each Farm, are also being experimentally 

 investigated. 



The Branch Farm apiaries report to the Central Experimental 

 Farm three times a year — in spring, summer and autumn — on forms 

 in which a number of questions are asked. This year simple forms for 

 a weekly report during the active season when swarming is possible 

 have been started. On these forms are asked the condition of each 



