CONTENTS. 



Page 



Historical Bketcli 3 



Experience of bee keepers in Massachusetts 6 



Number of colonies per bee keeper 8 



Distribution of bees in Massachusetts S 



Increase in number of colonies 9 



Production of honey and wax 9 



Honey crop 9 



Wax crop ii 



Sources of honey ii 



The more important honey plants in Massachusetts 14 



List of plants reported relatively few times 15 



Periods of nectar secretion in different localities 15 



Berkshire region 16 



Central region 16 



Cape Cod region 17 



Races of bees 18 



Italian bees 18 



German bees 18 



Carniolan bees 1 8 



Other races 19 



Hives -- 19 



Wintering 20 



Methods 20 



Mortality 21 



Bees in greenhouses 21 



The bee market 24 



Prices of bees 25 



The queen trade 25 



Enemies 25 



Damage to the bee-keeping industry by the gipsy and brown-tail moths.- 26 



Bee diseases 26 



Bee keepers' organizations 27 



I nstruction in bee keeping 27 



Conventions 27 



Summary -- 28 



A list of the more important articles on bee keeping in Massachusetts 29 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Fig. 1. Proportionate loss of bees wintered in cellars and on summer stands.. 2 1 

 2. Approximate location of greenhouses in which bees are used for the, 



pollination of cucumbers 2: 



