AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



543 



Mr. Benton, I judge, has a desk in 

 some dark corner of the Division of En- 

 tomology, and he has no bees nor other 

 facilities for practical work. He has 

 had enough light and time allowed him, 

 however, to prepare a bulletin, to be 

 sent to farmers and others making in- 

 quiries as to how they shall commence 

 bee-keeping. 



Now, we do not need this kind of work 

 at all, for we have plenty of hand-books 

 and journals devoted to A B C instruc- 

 tion. What we need is advanced work 

 — work that private individuals cannot 

 perform because of expense, or lack of 

 time or facilities for doing it. We do 

 not care to have the government make 

 any efforts to increase the number of 

 bee-keepers until after it shall have 

 made successful efforts to enlarge the 

 markets for their products. 



We hardly think that, in the fostering 

 care the government extended to the 

 cotton, iron, and other manufacturers, 

 it ever became necessary to issue bulle- 

 tins describing the best course for be- 

 ginners to pursue in engaging in these 

 occupations. The government can and 

 should help us by making original inves- 

 tigation on the uses of honey in the arts 

 and manufactures, and by collecting 

 and disseminating information already 

 known to the few, on these points ; also 

 by investigations as to the healthfulness 

 of honey, by comparing its digestibility 

 with that of cane sugar and other sugar 

 and heat-producing foods. 



The various diseases of bees, particu- 

 larly the pest of foul-brood, should be 

 investigated, and methods of treatment 

 disseminated. The Canadian govern- 

 ment has a foul-brood inspector, and 

 also grants pecuniary aid to its national 

 society for their efforts in promoting ad- 

 vanced bee-culture. Some parts of our 

 country are said to be as badly afflicted 

 with this contagious disease as is Can- 

 ada ; but we get no help, although it is 

 expected that the Bureau of Animal In- 

 dustry, a division of the Department of 

 Agriculture, in charge of the diseases of 

 domestic animals, etc., will call for an 

 appropriation of one million dollars from 

 the present Congress. 



The important part the honey-bee 

 performs in the fertilization of flowers 

 should be so fully investigated as to 

 make the results authoritative, and the 

 report spread broadcast among farmers 

 and fruit-growers. Bee-keepers now 

 suffer serious loss from the prejudices of 

 these classes who should be oursti'ongest 

 friends and supporters. 



A number of disputed, as well as a 



number of undiscovered functions in the 

 physiology of the honey-bee should be 

 definitely established. It may be said 

 that these do not concern the ordinary 

 bee-keeper. Not so ; fori have recently 

 had occasion in practical bee-keeping to 

 refer to several of the most obscure. An 

 experiment apiary, conducted by so prac- 

 tical and skillful a bee-keeper as Frank 

 Benton, ought also to establish many 

 useful and important points in practical 

 bee-keeping. 



The different races of bees could be 

 tested, and trustworthy reports made to 

 their merits, without compelling a multi- 

 tude of bee-keepers to invest of their 

 hard earnings in making what are 

 usually very imperfect tests. The trial 

 of the so-called Punic bee by the bee- 

 keepers of this country will 'probably 

 cost thousands of dollars. Mr. Benton, 

 with a few colonies of bees at his com- 

 mand, quite likely could have decided 

 on their worthlessness at an expense of 

 less than $25. 



A statement has recently gone forth 

 from one of our most distinguished State 

 entomologists. Dr. Lintner, that it would 

 be desirable for the destruction of cer- 

 tain insects that fruit-trees be sprayed 

 with arsenical mixtures while still in 

 bloom, and that he refrained from advis- 

 ing spraying at this time only because 

 of the assertion of bee-keepers that it 

 poisoned their bees. 



The proof of this poisoning, while 

 conclusive with bee-keepers, was not 

 wholly so with Dr. Lintner (it is feared 

 it will not be with fruit-growers), and 

 he asked that conclusive experiments be 

 made during the coming Spring. As the 

 danger is imminent, and concerns the 

 bee-keepers of many States, it would 

 seem very appropriate that these ex 

 periments be conducted at Washington, 

 and the results put into the hands of 

 fruit-growers, so that, if we find it 

 necessary to go into court, we may have 

 proof that these untimely sprayers had 

 knowledge of the crime they were com- 

 mitting. 



It is not my purpose to discuss the 

 merits of our system of governmental 

 assistance ; but it seems to me that, 

 since other industries are reared and 

 fattened at the government crib at our 

 expense, we might now receive back a 

 small percentage of the taxes levied on 

 us for the maintenance of our older and 

 stouter brothers. 



Apiculture is now a section in the 

 Dvision of Entomolgy ; so at one time 

 was ornithology ; so was silk raising. 

 Both have been raised to independent 



