300 AGRICULTURAL APPROPRIATION BILL, 1924, 



FOR INVESTIGATIONS AND DEMONSTRATIONS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Doctor Howard. The next is bee culture. Mr. Chairman, in which 

 there is no increase re(|ueste(l. 



The work of this section is chieHy concerned with investigations 

 of problems of importance to practical beekeeping. All beekeeping 

 practices rest on a knowledge of the })ehavior and physiology oi 

 Dees and as a result the investigation of the ofhce follow these two 

 main lines. A detailed study is being made of the temperature and 

 humidity of the colonv throughout the active period of the year, as 

 influenced by external factors, comparable to the work done a few 

 vears ago f()r the winter period. The work on wintering revealed 

 the desirability of certain important modihcations in beekeeping 

 practices, and the work for tne active season was undertaken in 

 the expectation that it also would yield important practical results. 

 It is too early to report the exact bearing of this work on beekeeping 

 practice for this part of the year, but it is evident that it will furnish 

 explanations for certain phenomena now observed but not understixxl. 

 A study is being made of the factoids influencing the rearing of brood 

 in the colony in the early part of the year. One of the most impor- 

 tant problems of the beekeeper is to get the population of the colony 

 to the highest possible point before the heavy secretion of nectar 

 begins and this stud}' is undertaken to determine what factors in- 

 lluence this increase. From the information gained it is expected 

 that detailed information will be available to the beekeeper which 

 will enable him to have all his colonies to the desired strength at 

 the right time. If this can be accomplishetl it will materially increase 

 tlie production of honey per colony and thus decrease the cost of 

 production. 



In connection with the study of wintering it wjis found that certain 

 honeys cause an abnormal condition of the bees, commonly known tis 

 dysentery. To determine the exact cause of this condition a series of 

 experiments was undertaken to determine the utilization of various 

 carbohydrates by the bees. It has been found that the dextrins in 

 honey are the chief cause of this trouble, and as these substances are 

 found to a dangerous degree only in the darker honeys, it is possible 

 for flic bcckcejXM- to prevent this condition merely by examining the 

 color of the honey available to the bees during the winter, as in case it 

 is dark to supply the bees with a small amount of sugar syrup after 

 all gathering of nectar has ceased. A change in the behavior of the 

 bees in storage in the fall which has been observed makes it possible 

 to |)revent (lysentery without removing the daiigert)us honey from 

 the hive, l)ut merely by supplying a better food for the period of the 

 winter, leaving the less desirable honey for spring use, when it is 

 entirely safe. This will remove a stM'ious source of winter loss which 

 was not fully controlled by the usual winter care advocated by the 

 publi<ation of the bureau. 



A study has been made of the colors of honevs fiom various sources 

 for the |)urp()se of furnishin<j information on which adecpiate coU)r 

 standards for honev may be (lefiiied. This will prevent the confusion 

 wliich is now so often experienced in th(> wholesale selling of honey. 

 Till' disease (tf be«>s; still demands attention. Special work has 

 been done receiitiv t(» determine whethei" the Isle of Wight disease 

 is present in the (nitetl States. So far it has not been found, and 



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