August, '16] PHILLIPS: PURPOSE OF COLLEGE BEEKEEPING 413 



colony and what steps have been taken to control swarming, and they 

 are mailed to the Central Farm the daj' after the weekly examination 

 of the colonies is made. 



At the Central Farm the principal problems that are being investi- 

 gated are swarm control, both by breeding and by manipulation, and 

 wintering, both out-of-doors and in the cellar. 8ummer out-apiaries 

 are also being established in places where different natural conditions 

 are found such as swamps and sandy plains, so as to investigate the 

 sources of honey there and to ascertain its quality and quantity, and 

 the botanical names of the plants yielding it, and also to investigate 

 the conditions under which they yield. A hone}^ plant herbarium and 

 honey museum are being started. About fift}' colonies are kept at the 

 Central Farm, and an average annual crop of between 2,000 and 3,000 

 pounds of honey has been obtained from it in recent years. 



An apicultural building 27 feet by 32 feet with underground base- 

 ment, containing three bee cellars, is now in course of construction at 

 the Central Experimental Farm, and will, it is expected, be ready for 

 occupation in January. Arrangements are being made to have the 

 temperature, humidity and ventilation in the three bee cellars under 

 artificial control. 



One of the functions of the apiaries at the Branch Farms is the supply 

 of bees in observation hives to a large number of fairs to which the 

 Dominion Experimental Farms send exhibits. These observation hives 

 contain one Langstroth frame with brood and honey with the adhering 

 bees and three sections or a shallow frame, containing honey, on top, 

 between sheets of glass. 



THE PURPOSE OF COLLEGE BEEKEEPING 



By E. r. Phillips, Bureau of Entomology, Waskington, D. C. 



The teaching of beekeeping in agricultural colleges is relatively new. 

 While the work has been sporadically included in such courses for 

 many years, no serious attempt was made to give a constructive bal- 

 anced course until within the last decade. The increase in this work 

 is highly encouraging but that there are problems to be settled is evi- 

 dent from the desirability of this meeting. It may be assumed that the 

 college authoi'ities do not know definitely what sort of course should 

 be given in so speciahzed a subject, and it is auspicious that the in- 

 structors in this subject have realized the desirability of a conference. 



Not being engaged in teaching, I shall not presume to give advice as 

 to the details of the course. It maj^ be an advantage to view the prob- 

 lem from the outside and to look at it from the standpoint of the needs 



