GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



made by the State. It seems to me that this 

 will control the bee-disease situation per- 

 fectly ; and as it would be a matter of rec- 

 ord, statistics could be quickly and accu- 

 rately made. 

 Lyndon, Vt. 



MAKING THE MOST OF INSPECTION 



Better to Spend Funds for Education 



BY FRANK C. PELLET 



• In States where beekeepers have not al- 

 ready secured the desired legislation it is 

 very important that they start right and 

 thus save the annoyance of having to make 

 a second fight to secure better laws. Each 

 State seems to have different laws, and 

 every inspector seems to have a different 

 plan. It is almost impossible to secure a 

 sufficiently large appropriation to do thor- 

 ough inspection work over the entire terri- 

 tory where disease is present in any State. 

 That being' the ease, educational work is 

 even more important than the actual in- 

 spection. After two years' experience as 

 State Inspector I am fully convinced that 

 it would not be wise for the State to expend 

 the necessary amount to inspect all dis- 

 eased colonies, even though a legislature 

 could be induced to provide the funds. In 

 my opinion it is better to provide an amount 

 sufficient to meet all emergencies, and to 

 exi^end the greater energy in educational 

 work. 



In this Stale the insiDection work is in 

 charge of an official who is designated 

 " State Inspector of Bees," with power to 

 appoint deputies. The term of office is two 

 years, and the inspector is appointed by the 

 Governor. It thus becomes a political ap- 

 pointment. Fortunately, so far no friction 

 has developed between the Inspector's De- 

 partment and the beekeepers. The beemen 

 have been uniformly friendly, and have ren- 

 dered every possible assistance in finding- 

 disease, either in their own apiaries or those 

 of the box-hive farmers who laermit a few 

 colonies to remain in some out-of-the-way 

 corner. Iowa is also fortunate in having a 

 governor who is not inclined to ask any 

 questions about a man's political affiliations 

 when making appointments of this kind. 

 There is danger, however, in making an 

 office of this kind a political appointment ; 

 for in many cases the otfice is filled rather 

 because of political connection than person- 

 al efficiency. 



Last year I became convinced that our 

 IDresent i)lan was not the best, and accord- 

 ingly recommended that the work be placed 

 in charge of the State Entomologist. A bill 

 was accordingly introduced in the lower 



house with that end in view, and I was 

 called before the committee in support of it. 

 The thing looked so reasonable to me that 

 I exiDected it to pass, and prepared to turn 

 the work over to Prof. Summers, and ex- 

 jiected to be relieved of further responsibil- 

 ity in connection with the inspection. The 

 bill, however, was defeated in committee by 

 one vote, and I still hold the job. There 

 was some fear expressed that, should this 

 work be added to the Entomologist's other 

 duties, it might suffer because of being plac- 

 ed in the hands of incompetent men. Those 

 who know Prof. Summers and his thorough 

 manner of dealing with every thing placed 

 in his charge had no fear on that score. 



If J were planning a campaign from the 

 beginning in a State where no laws had 

 already been jjassed I would begin by work- 

 ing for the establishment of a school of 

 beekeeping in connection with the State 

 Agricultural College and the inspection 

 work in connection with the school. It is 

 difficult to get high-grade men for a few 

 weeks in the spring and summer for the 

 amount available. If the same men can be 

 employed during the fall and winter months 

 in the college it will be possible to get the 

 best talent in charge of our bee work, and 

 to keep them employed throughout the year. 

 Too much importance can not be placed on 

 the work of the college in class work, bul- 

 letins, and extension lectures in the farm- 

 ers' institutes. 



In States where nothing is being done for 

 apiculture at the agricultural college, noth- 

 ing is to be gained by placing the inspection 

 of bees in charge of the entomologist, as at 

 best it will be a matter of secondary consid- 

 eration with him. 



Here in Iowa we are working for the 

 establishment of a department of apiculture 

 at the Agricultural College, with the idea 

 that the inspection work will ultimately be 

 combined with educational work in charge 

 of this department, all of which will natu- 

 lally fall under the supervision of the En- 

 tomologist. 



Atlantic, Iowa. 



CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH SWARMS MAY 

 CARRY FOUL BROOD 



BY GLENWOOD BEARD 



With reference to footnote on p. 734, Oct. 

 15, in answer to J. E. Battram, of Ontario, 

 Canada, I would say that swarms from 

 colonies infected with American foul brood 

 do carry with them honey wliich is diseased, 

 and a number of times I have seen the dead 

 larvfe in newly built combs drawn from full 

 sheets of foundation. 



