did this once in a while but in most cases traveled a long dis- 

 tance each day of inspection. The state did not want this to 

 continue and that is why we hired an inspector to live in Bristol 

 County this year. 



In June I attended the Mass. Federation Meeting at Wachusett 

 Meadows in Princeton, Massachusetts, where I represented the Dept. 

 of Agriculture since the Commissioner was out of the state. This 

 meeting was a success especially because of the fact that it demon- 

 strated how beekeeping is becoming attractive to young people. The 

 Natick 4-H Club junior members, ages 8-12 put on a beekeepers' program 

 under the direction of the Norfolk County Beekeepers Association 

 and especially a Mrs. Warren who sponsored the group for Norfolk 

 County although Natick is actually in Middlesex County. These 

 children each have their own bee hive and talk of their ovti 

 problems with keeping bees. Also explained to them is the differ- 

 ence between honeybees and other similar insects with charts and 

 drawings. This certainly should stimulate youngsters to keep bees. 



I have attended all of the Essex County Beekeepers m.eetings 

 and one in Barnstable County this past year. If all of the bee- 

 keepers were members of these county associations, it would be 

 easy to locate all of the beekeepers in Mass. as the ASCS group 

 want me to do for the indemnity program. The states of Rhode 

 Island and Connecticut require all beekeepers to register at a 

 minimum fee of 25?; which does not mean 250 per hive. I would 

 suggest that the state through the Dept. of Agriculture ask that 

 Mass. beekeepers all register at a 250 fee. This does not dis- 

 close the nuir.ber of hives they have but does give them access 

 to free inspection and coverage for pesticide losses. 



New Jersey requires all beekeepers to register and they 

 cover that state thoroughly in a burning program to rid the state 

 of disease. Recently they have experimented with fumigating the 

 diseased bees* combs with AFE and EFB even curing Nosema germs 

 with Ethylene Oxide in Carbon Dioxide as Carboxide from Union 

 Carbide. They purchased equipment (surplus U.S. Gov't.) worth 

 ^33,000 for these experiments which are proving to be very success- 

 full as discussed at the EAS meeting recently (these experiments 

 have been going on for several months and it will take a year to 

 complete them). 



Due to the late inspection season slowed dov.Ti by the rain 

 in May and June and due to recent pesticide losses, the honey 

 production which would have been a bumper crop has been cut dov/n 

 considerably. If these bees build up enough to winter, they will 

 have to work hard and become strong in the late summer and fall 

 months. The indemnity paid the beekeeper helps some but does not 

 help the farmer to pollinate properly nor does it tend to supply 

 the honey now in greater demand than in any previous years. 



Harlan E. Glidden 

 Chief Apiary Inspector 



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