1909 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



189 



tains an interesting array of facts and figures 

 showing not only the magnitude but the impor- 

 tance and possibilities of bee-keeping in this 

 country. A large amount of data has been gath- 

 ered from the Government reports, and these are 

 all put in convenient form for ready reference. 

 In speaking of the magnitude and importance of 

 the pursuit, Dr. Phillips, in his introductory re- 

 marks, says: 



Few persons realize tke magnitude, importance, and possibili- 

 tiei o( the present bee-keeping industry in the United States. 

 Those who are conversant with the purtuit, and even those who 

 ■re extensively engaged in it, generally fail to comprehend what 

 an important factor in the agriculture of the country apiculture is 

 as a whole, or how much the honey-bee, by collecting nectar 

 and storing it to produce a commercial product, ii instrumental 

 in saving our resources. Although the total value of bee prod- 

 ucts ii small ai compared with the value of the products of many 

 other branchei of agriculture, it nevertheless has an importance 

 which should not be overlooked. . . . Few rural pursuit! 

 have made greater progress during the past half-century than has 

 thii one. 



According to the census of 1900 the average number of colonies 

 on farms reporting them was 5.8106, valued at $14.40 — a very 

 small investment. In some recent work of this Bureau It has been 

 foQod that in the State of Massachusetts the average number of 

 colonies reported was 5.5 per bee-keeper. This last figure 

 shoald not be taken as an index to the condition in the whole 

 country, for as one goes farther west the holdings are found to be 

 larger. In California, for example, while there are some small 

 apiaries, the majority are quite large, and the average is several 

 times that ot Massachusetts. The number taken from the census 

 ran »carcely be accepted as correct. 



The number of men who rely solely on the production of hon- 

 ey and wax for a livelihood is rather small, and most of the exten- 

 sive producers of the West carr>- on some other business, at least 

 for the part of the year when the bees are less active. The rea- 

 son for this is found in the nature of the industry. Any location 

 is limited as to the number of colonies of bees which it will sup- 

 port, and in consequence a bee-keeper must either carry on some 

 other business or establish numerous out-apiaries to enable him to 

 keep bees enough to make it an occupation whicb will support 

 him. Since the establishment of out-apiaries is attended with 

 certain disadvantages, it usually follows that bee-keeping be- 

 comes a minor part of a man's occupation or even a side line. 



Then, too, bee-keeping is taken up by many as a recreation or 

 a subject of nature study. Such persons do not wish to make it 

 their sole or main occupation. Many farmers also keep a few 

 colonies of bees and add to their income to some extent in that 

 way. It is obvious that bee-keeping must continue to be an av- 

 ocation in the majority of cases. 



THE SCOPE OF THE INDUSTRY. 



Dr. Phillips estimates that the annual produc- 

 tion of honey in the United States is somewhere 

 about $20,000,000 in value, and wax about 

 $2,000,000. He very properly says that, "since 

 the harvest depends so completely on various 

 high-life conditions, there is an enormous varia- 

 tion in the annual yield " Of the number of 

 bee-keepers in the United States, he places the 

 figures at something like 700,000. In comparing 

 these figures with the United States census report 

 he says, " It is very obvious that the census fig- 

 ures are entirely too small, and are far from do- 

 ing justice to the industry." 



IMPORTS OF HONEY INTO THE UNITED STATES. 



A very interesting set of tables is prepared, 

 made up from various custom-house returns, 

 showing the amount of honey annually imported 

 into the United States. This, in round numbers, 

 is something like 2,500,000 lbs. annually. Of 

 this amount, Cuba sends nearly 50 percent; Mex- 

 ico, between 20 and 33 per cent; San Domingo 

 from 1 to 10 per cent; Haiti, 1 to 5 per cent; all 

 other countries, 3 to 4 per cent. Of beeswax an- 

 nually imported into the United States, the 

 amount aggregates something like 700,000 

 pounds. Of this amount Cuba furnishes the 

 most; next comes Mexico, then San Domingo, 

 the propor'ions ranging very closely with the per- 



centages of honey from those countries respec- 

 tively. 



Of the imports and exports of honey, it is in- 

 teresting to note that the imports exceed the ex- 

 ports many times over; but it is a remarkable fact 

 that, away back from 1855 to 1860, there was 

 twice as much honey imported into the United 

 States as during the period from 1901 to 1908, 

 showing the domestic product has served to keep 

 the foreign article out. From 1878 to 1900 the 

 imports ran from 1,000,000 to 1,900,000 lbs. per 

 annum; but from 1901 to 1908, with 1903, the 

 big year, the importations annually increased 

 these figures by 1,000,000 lbs. This is probably 

 due to the fact that the large baking concerns 

 are substituting foreign honeys for the domestic 

 product. 



The imports and exports of beeswax show a 

 rather different ratio. Since 1890 there has been 

 a gradual increase in imports, while the exports 

 from 1851 to 1908 have very markedly fallen off. 

 The exports in 1851 amounted to 415,000 lbs., 

 while in 1907 they show only 117,000. On the 

 other hand, the imports for the first three decades 

 since 1850 was practically nothing, while in 1908 

 they reached nearly 700,000 lbs. 



Next Dr. Phillips introduces data showing the 

 value of the bee as a pollinating agent. On this 

 question he winds up by saying, " It is safe to 

 say that the indirect benefit of the bee-keeping 

 industry annually adds to the resources of the 

 country considerably more than the amount receiv- 

 ed frotn the sale of honey and --wax. " Italics ours. 



SOURCES OF LOSS TO THE BEE-KEEPER; WHAT 



BEE DISEASES COST IN THE UNITED STATES 



ANNUALLY. 



In speaking of the sources of loss to the bee- 

 keeper he mentions swarming, winter losses, 

 waste of wax, enemies, and last, but not least, 

 disease. As an example of the annual loss from 

 the last item he introduces some figures from Mr. 

 Chas. H. Stewart, who is foul-brood inspector of 

 a certain number of counties in New York. 

 Previous to 1899 the disease cost the State in 

 these counties over $39,000. This was reduced 

 to $25,000 in 1897; 20,t/00 in 1900; $10,000 in 

 1901; $5000 in 1902, until it was less than $2000 

 in 1905, making a grand total in the counties 

 mentioned of $110,000. Dr. Phillips says if a 

 loss of $25,000 is possible through the ravages 

 of bee diseases in a few counties in one State, 

 and if there are many areas much larger where 

 the disease is equally epidemic, the loss from foul 

 and black brood may well be estimated at 

 S2,ooo,ooo annually. These figures are some- 

 what staggering, but they are probably not far 

 from the truth. Right in this connection it is 

 interesting to note that, through the work of Mr. 

 Stewart, the annual loss from bee diseases was 

 reduced from nearly $40,000 a year to less than 

 $2000. This speaks well of Mr. btewart. 



Eighteen States now have foul-brood laws, 

 and one other State has since been added (since 

 the bulletin was published) making 19 in all. 



This bulletin as a whole is very interesting, 

 and should prove to be an important addition to 

 any bee-keeper's library. It can be had by ap- 

 plying to the Superintendent of Documents, 

 Government Printing Office, inclosing 5 cents. 

 Stamps will not be accepted. 



