24 



January, 19iri. 



American Hee Jonrnal 



FIG. 1 -GOLDEN-ROD 



ing bees to rob was sent to tlie gen- 

 eral list of beekeepers early in the 

 spring, and the self-inspection report 

 forms went to the disease list of bee- 

 keepers in May. These were given a 

 heaity response by the recipients. 



Twenty-one apiary inspectors were 

 employed. Nine of these were strictly 

 local inspectors; that is, they are prac- 

 tical beekeepers appointed to inspect 

 bees in their own and adjoining coun- 

 ties. Eig'it have taken some training 

 at the Ontario Agricultual, College, and 

 have returned to their homes to keep 

 bees. They also acted as local inspec- 

 tors. The remaining four men were 

 sent out directly from the Ontario 

 Agricultural College, after having re- 

 ceived a special course of training in 

 apiary inspection and in conducting 

 apiary demonstrations. 



One thousand three hundred and 

 sixteen visits were made to apiaries by 

 inspectors during the season of 1914, 

 and while in the European foul brood 

 district 50 percent of the apiaries 

 visited were found diseased, only 31 

 percent of the apiaries visited in the 

 American foul brood district were 

 found to be in this condition. In other 

 words, whereas the inspectors only 

 went to apiaries where disease had 

 been reported or was strongly sus- 

 pected, sev -n out of ten such apiaries 

 in the American foul brood district 

 were found to be free of disease. This 

 shows that the educational campaign 

 which we have been conducting for 

 several years is bearing good fruit. 



While it is exceedingly regrettable 

 it is not surprising that European foul 

 brood is still spreading rapidly. Some 



a total requirement of about 48,000, 

 pounds of sugar for winter feeding. 

 The addresses of those making appli- 

 cation were sent to Sir Geo. E. Foster 

 with a statement of their requirements. 

 He very kindly sent these lists on to 

 the sugar refiners, who in turn sent 

 them to their local agents throughout 

 Ontario, instructing them to see that 

 bonafide beekeepers were supplied 

 with plenty of sugar at wholesale rates. 

 Acting as Provincial Apiarist, the 

 secretary took a spring report on bee- 

 keeping, sending blank forms to a large 

 number of Ontario beekeepers the lat- 

 ter part of April. One thousand one 

 hundred and fifty replies were received, 

 reporting 38,22'Z colonies, spring count. 

 The average winter loss was only 7)4 

 percent, and prospects for a honey 

 crop very bright. The reports taken 

 later, however, showed almost a total 

 failure of the honey crop. 



ArlARY INSPECTION AND DEMONSTRATION. 



It has not been found necessary to 

 make much change in the management 

 of the inspection of apiaries from the 

 methods reported at previous conven- 

 tions. In accordance with a resolu- 

 tion passed at the last annual conven- 

 tion, more local inspectors were ap- 

 pointed than ever before, but with this 

 exception the work has been carried 

 on much as usual. 



The Inspector's Conference was held 

 at the Beekeeping Short Course in 

 January at the Ontario Agricultural 

 College. A letter warning against 

 _ nger of spreading disease by allow- 



KIG. 4.— I'AKTRIDGI': PI'.A 



