88 ■ BOARD OF AGRKITLTURE. [Pa)). Doc. 



edneational or the legal aspects of the New York Stale law, in 

 the suppression of bee disease ? 



Mr, Stewakt. That is a hard question. I think I should 

 have to say the educational, although the two should go hand 

 in hand. In the nine years in which I have been inspector, I 

 recall but one or two cases where I had to exert my authority 

 to get the work done. I have talked to them, and by tact and 

 diplomacy I have brought about desired ends ; even when I 

 have destroyed some of their bees I have done so with their 

 consent. Right here I want to say that the only way to rid 

 yourselves of bee disease is by having a proper law passed and 

 getting a proper man to enforce it. He should be a man whom 

 you have confidence in, and he should not be handicapped by 

 being obliged to ask permission to visit a man's bee yard ; he 

 should not be restricted in any way ; he should have access to 

 those yards at any time. It is necessary to give the bee in- 

 spector this authority. If he abuses it, or fails in his duty, he 

 should be removed. 



Mr. Wilfred Wheelee (of Concord). Is there any objec- 

 tion to keeping bees in a barn ? I have a room in my barn 

 where I keep a few hives of bees, making an opening in the 

 side where they can fly, and a door on the outside. I have 

 been troubled with the bee moth, and have had the bees die 

 in the winter, — not from lack of honey and apparently from 

 no cause whatever. 



Mr. Stewart. In a building that is open, that is not 

 heated in any way, above ground, unless there is a large num- 

 ber in it the average loss is very great. I have known of a 

 man who wintered bees one year in a hop house (which is like 

 a barn, only it is fairly tight). He wintered them fairly w^ell ; 

 the next winter he lost all but one colony. Having so much 

 space they suffered more than if they had stayed out of doors, 

 and had the protection of the snow. All of my bees are win- 

 tered out of doors, and you will always find the snow drifts 

 over them, and the snow keeps them warm. The heat of the 

 bees will melt the snow around the hives. But they all have 

 to be shoveled out in March and given a flight. Sometimes we 

 are not able, in setting out yards, to get protection of woods 



