P.D. 123 19 



Strict enforcement of the Corn Borer law and (luarantine, has nndoubtedly been 

 effective in delaying the spread and reducing the degree of infestation of this pest. 

 On December 1 the Division had twelve inspectors in the field to report all viola- 

 tions of the corn borer law — where corn stubble had not been destroyed. The 

 violators were called into hearings held in Boston, Worcester, Haverhill, New 

 Bedford, Middleboro, and Wareham. These hearings are educational and the 

 results have been very encouraging. A feeling of co-operation is developed, and 

 it is a rare occasion when the same party is reported for a second violation. 



The Division has co-operated with the Federal Government in maintaining a 

 corps of inspectors in the Boston and Worcester Produce and flower markets where 

 the quarantine is operative. 



Apiary Inspection 



As forecast in 19'-2!), the demand for bees to be used in fruit orchards during 

 the bloom was acute. As had been anticipated, there was an apparent shortage 

 in the supply. However, a few bee-kee])ers having made an attempt to meet 

 the demand, built up ajjiaries for the purpose of rental. With this in view, a bee- 

 keeper in the Connecticut Valley reports that he now has in excess of one hundred 

 colonies ready for the \9'M requirements. Similar apiaries are in the process or 

 are planned in other parts of the State: thus it is ho{)ed that the local supply will 

 gradually fill, in part at least, the urgent requirements of the fruit growers. 



Worcester County and Middlesex County, through the agency of the Extension 

 Service, secured from the South considerable quantities of package bees. This 

 year the plan of caging the (jueen in each package was tried out, with a view to 

 eliminating the difficulty experienced in 19-29 of the bees establishing themselves 

 with combs and l)rood within the container, necessitating ultimate destruction, 

 or transferring by the inspectors. Due to exceedingly unfavorable weather 

 conditions, particularly in the South, at the time of shipment North, of part of 

 the consignment of package bees, some packages were received in bad condition. 

 However, other lots came through in fine condition, and were successfully handled 

 by the growers. It will be several years before the new practice of shipping 

 North, orchard supplies of bees, can be brought out of the experimental stage; 

 it will re(|uire co-ordinated experimentation, both by the shippers and the con- 

 signees. One point gained by the experience of this year is that the larger pack- 

 ages (usually 5 pounds of bees with their queen) have proven the most satisfactory. 



The inspection of apiaries progressed rapidly this year, due both to the inten- 

 sive work in Worcester County and to a season without rain. The plan for Worces- 

 ter County was that tried and advocated for other parts of the United States, and 

 spoken of as "the area clean-up plan." It was essentially an intensive drive to 

 rid the county of the final or lingering cases of American foulbrood, known to be 

 few and scattered. In order to round out the area, a few towns adjacent to the 

 county, particularly in Middlesex County, were included. The approval and 

 sanction of the Worcester County Farm Bureau, Mr. George F. E. Story, County 

 Agricultural Agent, was secured. Uniform instructions were issued to each in- 

 spector and a letter of warning and an outline of the intensive drive was sent 

 to each known beekeeper within the clean-up area. 



The inspectors began work as soon as possible. They were instructed to find 

 everyone who had bees; to examine all colonies of l)ees; if American foulbrood 

 was found, to secure the written consent of the owner for the immediate destruc- 

 tion and burning of all infectious material; to examine all stored combs or unused 

 combs; and to leave their territory only after it had been freed from disease. 

 As a result, in Worcester County, (JO-l apiaries were examined, among which only 

 twenty-seven were foimd to have any trace of American foulbrood. These apiaries 

 comprised 1,942 colonies, of which 1,834- were in condition to examine. (Colonies 

 not examined were of several classes: newly hived swarms on foundation, colonies 

 housed so as to be incapable of examination, or so situated that examination was 

 impossible.) Of the colonies examined, sixty-seven were condemned for American 

 fouiy)rood; twenty-one of these were immediately destroyed by an insj)ector, 

 through written agreement. The balance were either destroyed within a short 

 time by the owner, or through a further arrangement with the Deputy Inspector, 

 or, as was allowed in a few instances, were treated for the disease in a manner 

 approved by the Inspector. This was possible in the hands of the competent bee- 



