FEBRUARY 15, 1913 



H3 



General Correspondence 



SHALL WE ENCOURAGE MORE TO KEEP BEES ? 



OR SHALL WE RENDER MORE HELP TO 



THOSE ALREADY IN THE BUSINESS ? 



BY J. L. BYEE 



The December issue of the Canadian Bee 

 Journal reprints an article conti'ibuted to 

 the Farmer's Advocate by our well-known 

 friend R. F. Holtermann. The editor of 

 the latter paper asked for a summary of 

 the prospects of beekeeping in Canada, and 

 the article in question deals largely with 

 that phase of the industi'y; and while the 

 views expressed may not be in harmony 

 with the ideas of all others engaged in the 

 business, they are, nevertheless, rery inter- 

 esting, and worthy of our sincere considera- 

 tion. After commenting on the fact that 

 European and American foul brood are a 

 serious menace to successful beekeeping, he 

 saj-s, " Just now, it seems to me, to advise 

 men either in Ontario or Quebec to go into 

 beekeeping is like advising a man to go into 

 hog-production with an outbreak of hog 

 cholera in the vicinity, only far worse." 

 Referring to the claim that these diseases 

 are not checked more effectually than is the 

 case, because of lack of funds from the 

 Province to fight them properlj', he further 

 says: "I shall let the public judge as to 

 the wisdom of such a policy, and whether 

 it is wise to seek to develop, at expense, the 

 industry on the one hand, and allow those 

 already' in it to be Aviped out on the other 

 for lack of funds." 



The editor of the Canadian Bee Journal, 

 commenting favorably on Mr. Holtermann's 

 article, says, among other things, " Our 

 officials are not to blame. On the contrary, 

 they fully recognize the impossibility of 

 checking the scourge with the scanty means 

 placed at their disjDosal by the Government. 

 If, however, the whole of the funds now 

 being spent for ajDicultural purposes in the 

 province could be used for taking vigorous 

 repressive measures against bee diseases, 

 better results would ensue." 



Let me digress just here to state that 

 European foul brood is the disease that Mr. 

 Holtermann has mostly in view, and I pre- 

 sume the editor of the Canadian Bee Jour- 

 nal also refers particularly to this brand 

 of foul brood, as it is generally admitted 

 that the old-time variety we have been so 

 familiar with is gradually being cornered, 

 and has lost its terrors for most beekeepers. 



Returning again to the article in ques- 

 tion, let me say that I have quoted from it, 

 because in reading it one can not help see- 

 ing at once that the author believes it is a 



fallacy to try to persuade others to go into 

 the business of beekeeping when those al- 

 ready in the business are up against such 

 a serious menace as foul brood. And right 

 here let me add that, during the past season, 

 when traveling, meeting in convention, or in 

 other ways associating with the majority of 

 our producers, I found by actual inquiry 

 that nearly all are of the same opinion as 

 our friend in this matter. Ever since the 

 Provincial apiarist has been appointed, I 

 have been a loyal supporter of liim, and to- 

 day I believe we have a man in the position 

 whom we have reason to be proud of; but 

 at the same time there is no use in denying 

 the fact that the Avork being done in con- 

 nection with apiculture, in so far as practi- 

 cal help to those in the business is concern- 

 ed, is not Avhat most beekeepers were ex- 

 pecting when the government decided to 

 open a department of apiculture at the 

 Agricultural College. No doubt the same 

 opinion is held by many beekeepei-s in the 

 different States that have departments of 

 apiculture; but as I am not so well ac- 

 quainted with the producers so concerned, 

 I can not speak with authority for them. 

 When the editor of the Canadian Bee Jour- 

 nal says that if the whole of the funds now 

 being spent for apiculture were applied to 

 foul-brood suppression, I do not think he 

 means to imply that the department should 

 be abolished, but, rather, that as much as 

 is now being granted for all the work 

 should be given for foul-brood suppression 

 alone. 



I have already referred to the fact that 

 the majority of the beekeepers believe that 

 less encouragement should be given to those 

 contemplating going into the business, and 

 that more help should be given to those al- 

 ready established. This being a fact, it may 

 be asked why more has not been said about 

 it in a public manner; and for answer I 

 would say that rather short crops, with an 

 unlimited market for the same, has caused 

 honey to reach a high-water mark here in 

 Ontario, so that any real " kicking " is al- 

 most an impossibility at present. But let 

 the present " boom " end, a series of heavy 

 crops follow with attendant lower prices, 

 then surely there would be a "howl" against 

 any systematic propaganda for developing 

 more beekeepers. 



To those who have read thus far, this will 

 no doubt seem but a bit of carping criti- 

 cism; but I wish to assure one and all that 

 nothing is further from my mind; for, re- 

 gardless of what any of us beekeepers think 

 about the matter, so long ns ^.jr Gover"- 



