GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



One corner of the exhibit room. 



of the bees, so called "rules" for beekeep- 

 ers are discarded, and much time is given 

 to the study and habits of the different 

 castes of bees. Especial attention is paid 

 to the habits of the queen with regard to 

 swarming. A feature of the instruction is 

 the short course offered to any one desiring 

 to attend. Dr. Gates tells me that ten 

 people registered from outside the regular 

 enrollment of the college, and this would 

 indicate that peo]"tle at large are not too 

 busy to give two weeks for practical in- 

 struction in this fascinating occupation. 

 This is only the second year that the course 

 has been offered, and the outlook for fu- 

 ture development in this department is 

 promising. 



Since the course is short, only the most 

 practical phases of beekeeping are taken 

 up. A part of each day is devoted to lec- 

 tures given by various members of the 

 college faculty, and the remainder of the 

 day is given over to laboratory work at 

 the apiary building and actual manipula- 

 tions of bees in the hive. Tliis includes 

 instruction in controlling swarming, treat- 

 ing bee diseases, getting the greatest total 

 production of commercial honey. Study 

 is also made of the wild flowers offering 

 abundant nectar supply to bees. Of course, 

 the natural range of nectar-gathering work- 

 ers being so wide (often three miles) the 



beekeeper can not hope to control to any 

 little extent even the source of the nectar 

 which his bees gather. 



The equipment of the beekeeping de- 

 partment at the agricultural college is prob- 

 ably the best in the country, connected with 

 instruction work. The offices of the de- 

 partment are at present under the same 

 roof with the Department of Entomology. 

 In the same building is a' large well-fitted 

 laboratory and paint-shop where the prac- 

 tical indoor work is given. The most com- 

 plete library of ancient and modern books 

 on beekeeping is owned by the department. 

 Several French and English works on the 

 subject, bearing the printer's date of the 

 seventeenth century, are to be found in 

 this library. In addition there is a muse- 

 um of objects of interest to beekeepers; 

 hives and appliances of old and of the 

 newest manufacture; a series of hives 

 showing the development of the modern 

 hive, and special tools as well as hives for 

 observation of bees at work. 



On the whole the convention was con- 

 sidered a great s:;ecess. It showed the 

 awakening interept (hat the people of Mas- 

 sachusetts are taking in beekeeping; and 

 the work done at the convention is sure 

 to kindle new enthusiasm in those who 

 have, for some reason or other, partly fall- 

 en by the wayside. 



