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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



ucate apiarists to use caps and crates of 

 uniform size for commercial convenience. 

 The Department had, however, neither 

 the means nor the power to organize 

 such a Commission as was urged. 



In 1885 I was enabled to establish, 

 in response to what I felt was an evident 

 want, an apicultural station, having 

 fortunately the full sympathy of Com- 

 missioner Colman in the work. The 

 station was located at Aurora, Ills., and 

 Mr. N. W. McLain, an enthusiastic and 

 well-informed apiarist, was placed in 

 charge. The reasons for establishing 

 the station, and the objects in mind, I 

 quote from the introduction to my report 

 as Entomologist for that year : 



." Among the subjects which I desire 

 to* have investigated in addition to some 

 of more purely scientific interest, are the 

 following : 



" 1. To secure the introduction and 

 domestication of such races of bees as 

 are reported to possess desirable traits 

 and characteristics ; to test the claims 

 of such races of bees as to excellence, 

 and to prove by experiments their value 

 to the apiculturists of the United States, 

 and their adaptation to our climate and 

 honey-producing flora. 



" 2. To make experiments in the 

 crossing and mingling of races already 

 introduced, and such as may hereafter 

 be imported, and by proper appli- 

 cation of the laws of breeding endeavor 

 to secure the type or types best adapted 

 by habit and constitution to the uses of 

 practical bee-keepers in the United 

 States. 



" 3. To make experiments in the 

 methods of artificial fertilization, and, if 

 possible, demonstrate the best process 

 by which the same may be accomplished. 



" 4. To study the true causes of dis- 

 eases yet imperfectly understood, and the 

 best methods of preventing or curing 

 such diseases. 



" 5. To obtain incontestable results 

 by intelligent experiments on scientific 

 methods, as to the capacity of bees, un- 

 der exceptional circumstances, to injure 

 fruit; i. e., to set at rest the ever-dis- 

 cussed question of bees vs. fruit." 



The experiments of the first year— the 

 station having only been started in June 

 — had reference to economy in the pro- 

 duction of wax ; feeding devices ; the 

 wintering of bees, and the question as 

 to whether bees injure fruit ; the arti- 

 ficial fertilization of queens, etc. 



In 1886 the experiments as to whether 

 bees can injure fruit or not, were con- 

 tinued, and Mr. McLaln's report con- 

 tains the results of experiments and ob- 



servations as to wintering bees, the pre- 

 vention of spring dwindling, bee forage, 

 (especially in regard to plants, etc., 

 that might be cultivated for honey); 

 diseases (particularly foul brood), and 

 the control of fertilization in confine- 

 ment. These last two subjects received 

 special attention again in 1887, and ex- 

 periments in mating queens to selected 

 drones were made. 



In Commissioner Colman's report for 

 1888 occurs the following paragraph in 

 explanation of the cessation of the api- 

 cultural experiments: 



" Owing to the lack of specific appro- 

 priation, it has been necessary to dis- 

 continue the apicultural experiment 

 station. This is to be regretted, as the 

 station has done good work, and as it 

 has accomplished results of considerable 

 benefit to this extensive and growing in- 

 dustry. This Division stands ready to 

 continue this work at any time when 

 Congress shall make appropriation for it." 

 Personally, I was intensely interested 

 in the results of this experimental work, 

 and while unforeseen contingencies arose 

 which materially interfered with my 

 plans, yet I knew Mr. McLain to be a 

 man full of energy and enthusiasm in 

 the cause, and exceptionally well posted 

 in all matters relating to bee-culture. 

 Yet he never had the full sympathy or 

 co-operation of some of the most volumi- 

 nous writers on the subject, and who, 

 from being looked up to as authorities, 

 are not always most sympathetic with 

 others. There is probably not one of Mr. 

 McLain's critics who would have done 

 more of real benefit to apiculture during 

 the same time and under the same cir- 

 cumstances. The experiments to deter- 

 mine whether bees injure fruit or not, 

 certainly put a quietus to the discussion 

 in so far as grapes are concerned, and 

 have done much to prevent misappre- 

 hension on the part of growers who are 

 not bee-keepers, and to harmonize both 

 classes. 



Aside from the above, the observations 

 and information containnd in Mr. Mc- 

 Lain's reports on foul brood, and in ex- 

 periments looking to the control of fer- 

 tilization of the queens, are many of 

 them valuable, even though in the latter 

 case he could not finally present any 

 practical method of accomplishing this 

 object. 



The apicultural exhibit which I pre- 

 pared for the Department for the Paris 

 Exposition of 1889, was largely made 

 up of material contributed by individual 

 bee-keepers, and received very favorable 

 notice from foreign bee-experts. In fact, 

 It was rated the best of all the exhibits 



