Jan. 26, 1905. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



59 



eye peeled and peer in all directions in order not to allow 

 anything of importance to escape our notice, and in order 

 to be able to estimate at its true worth any possible line 

 of investigation. This being our atttitude, all may rest 

 assured that we shall not let any investigation of the 

 great bees occupy either the whole time nor the whole sum 

 which may be devoted to experimental apicultural work. The 

 matter, is, however, a larger one than the mere getting and 

 testing of these bees for their value as direct honey- 

 producers in the United States. It is in itself sufficiently 

 valuable, from a scientific standpoint, to warrant its 

 beinc undertaken, for this reason alone, at an opportune 

 time. The comparison of the breeding habits, qualities, 

 structure and general life history of these great bees, will 

 afford much that is instructive, and settle long disputed 

 points that all will be glad to have at rest once for all. 



There is a further reason for undertaking to find out 

 what we can concerning the bees of the Philippines, 

 namely the opportunity which would at the same time be 

 afforded for studying the possibilities in practical api- 

 cultural work in those rich islands which extend over a 

 thousand miles from north to south, or from Boston, 

 Mass., to Savannah, Ga., on our eastern coast; or from St'. 

 Paul to New Orleans, in the Mississippi Valley; or again, 

 from northern Oregon to southern California, in the 

 west, and with all variations of mountain, lake and val- 

 ley, sea exposure, swamp and jungle. Here is a vast field 

 in which at least it is our duty to study the possibilities, 

 and point out, if possible, the way to success. No step 

 will be taken without careful consideration, but action 

 once decided upon will be pushed with all possible speed 

 and energj'. But what will we do? Wait and see, and 

 meanwhile give us your advice. 



Numbers of queens of valuable races, and select strains 

 of certain races, are being imported and tested. These in- 

 clude the extremely gentle Caucasian bees from the shores 

 of the Black and Caspian Seas in Russia. Cyprians from the 

 Island of Cyprus, which have proven their prepotent value as 

 crossing material ; Dalmatians from the Province of Dalma- 

 tia, Austria ; Italians from the foot-hills of the Alps, in the 

 extreme nothern part of the Kingdom of Italy, where the most 

 industrious type of this race is to be found ; and lastly Car- 

 niolans, from the most elevated districts of the Province 

 of Carniola, in Austria, a type which, by reason of its gen- 

 tleness, excellent wintering qualities, hardiness, and prolific- 

 ness, has shown itself of great value in this country, especially 

 in comb-honey production. Daughters of these races, and 

 various crosses between them, will be bred for testing, 

 both here and at numerous stations. We are particularly 

 desirous of securing unbiased tests on a sufficiently large 

 scale to enable us to decide the exact value of each of these 

 for any and all parts of this country. 



If it is possible it is proposed to test, more fully than has 

 heretofore been done in this country, the employment of ar- 

 tificial heat in the wintering, and more particularly in the 

 rapid breeding up of bees in early spring. It is certain that 

 artificial heat may be successfully employed to produce such 

 results. The question then arises whether it is at a profit or 

 not, in view of the expenditure of means and time required. 



It is likewise believed that there is great room for im- 

 provement in the hives and accessories concerned in migra- 

 tory or pastoral bee-keeping, at least as this system has thus 

 far been practical in this country. 



Whenever the experiments and field-work here indicated 

 do not fully occupy the time of the experimenters and office 

 force, there is an indefinite amount of additional work which 

 may be followed up, such as, for example, collecting data re- 

 garding the apicultural industry in the United States, first as 

 to the principal honey-producing plants of the various re- 

 gions; second, as to losses of bees by diseases in wintering; 

 third, as to the races of bees now kept, and their relative pro- 

 portions ; fourth, as to the proportion of frame to box hives 

 now in use ; and fifth, as to honey production. 



On the basis of the data obtained under the first head, 

 that is, regarding honey-producing plants of the country, it 

 is proposed to map on outline maps of the United States 

 the areas of the principal honey-producing plants, and to 

 determine where and what new plants can be disseminated 

 for the purpose of increasing the pasturage of any given 

 section. 



There are still some points in the life-histories of insect 

 enemies of honey-bees that should receive attention and clear 

 elucidation. 



A card index of apiarian literature is much needed in the 



office-work to furnish ready reference to everything that 

 has been written on a given topic. 



Then, naturally, whatever results may be attained, or 

 whatever inforination it is desired to make public, will 

 have to be put in the form of bulletins, which will require 

 care and time for their preparation. 



In all of this work, whether experimental or office-work, 

 the Apicultural Investigator earnestly hopes for the hearty 

 cooperation of the bee-keepers of the country, and is desirous 

 of receiving from any who have in mind a subject of gener- 

 al interest whatever suggestions such persons may feel dis- 

 posed to give, and all may rest assured that the most careful 

 consideration will be given to any and all propositions of 

 this nature which may be presented. In this connection the 

 remark of the esteemed Dr. Riley must not be forgotten, but 

 should be held as a prophetic warning, namely: "that the 

 reason that nothing more resulted from the work begun 

 under his auspices in 1885 should, to some extent, be laid to 

 the lack of effort on the part of the bee-keepers themselves, 

 that is, to their failure to be unanimous and hearty in their 

 support of the work." 



A few words in closing in regard to the present Chief 

 of the Bureau of Entomology, Dr. L. O. Howard. All of 

 those who have the honor of being acquainted with this 

 gentleman will join me, I am sure, in testifying to his high 

 standing as a scientific investigator, as well as to the genial 

 whole-souled nature of his personality. To those who have 

 not met him I would say, that no man is more widely known 

 among the galaxy of distinguished scientists whose homes 

 are in the Capitol city, and in his line of work no man is 

 more highly esteemed. His work in scientific and economic 

 entomology, and his writings in this line have made him 

 known in every country of the world where there is even 

 the slightest appreciation of the labors of the scientific in- 

 vestigator of insect life. He is not a bee-keeper, but he has 

 come in the course of the years during which we have been 

 associated, to know something of the status of this industry 

 and its needs, and I can assure the members of this organi- 

 zation, and through them the bee-keepers of the country, 

 that he is in hearty sympathy, as was his predecessor, with 

 progressive work in the line of investigation and development 

 of the industry in every part of our country. With greater 

 opportunities in the way of funds than were accorded to 

 Dr Riley, he is able to authorize more work, and it is due 

 largely to his liberal spirit and his ready acceptance of my 

 own recommendations in every particular, that the industry- 

 is now upon so substantial a footing at the Department, and! 

 that the outlook for continuous practical and scientific inves- 

 tigation in apiculture is now so excellent. 



Frank Benton. 

 SIXTH SESSION. 



At 7 o'clock p. m., the President called the convention 

 to order, and also called for discussion on Prof. Benton's 

 paper. 



Mr. Hershiser moved, seconded by Mr. Dadant, that the 

 matter of taking such measures and steps as shall continue 

 the governmental apiary in investigations in the interest of 

 apiculture in the United States be referred to the committee 

 on Legislation. [Carried.] 



Pres. Harris— We should not give a paper of this sort 

 mere passmg notice, for the reason that Prof. Benton himself 

 has done everything that the bee-keepers could ask of him in 

 his official position. There are many things in that paper 

 that are grand and good, and in the best interests of the bee- 

 keepers of America. For instance, the matter of getting 

 honey-plants and scattering the seed throughout the several 

 States that it may be beneficial to all of us who may be bee- 

 keepers ; another matter, that of establishing apiaries where 

 they may experiment in the line of getting queens of the best 

 sort, probably getting longer-lived queens, if possible. As we 

 go along w^e get improvements in every line in life, as you see 

 here at our door, and each and everyone of you should lend 

 your encouragement and your help to the one who is foremost 

 in this work. I know it was only last winter, and the winter 

 before, through his efforts he has got appropriations. Now 

 that he is going to assist not only the United States but other 

 countries m the development of the bee-industry, we should 

 not pass lightly over these matters but look at them from a 

 careful business standpoint, and then after we see 

 we are right go to our representatives in Con- 

 cjress and in the Senate, because you all have in- 

 fluence—the most humble citizen in life has his 

 mfluence— and by putting forth that influence in a few years 

 we will get into a different channel from what we are at pres- 

 ent, and you will all be proud of the fact that you are mem- 



