.\iar.sT, 1917 



G Ij E A N T N G S J N BEE CULTURE 



609 



Ih FROM THE FIELD OF EXPERIENCE 



The apicultural department of the Massachusetts Agricultural College. 



(son of Allen Latham), and L. R. Smith, 

 of Hadley. Dr. Gates spoke on comb and 

 extracted honey production in Massachu- 

 setts, advocating the production of extracted 

 as more natural to the floral conditions of 

 this state, more economical and more profit- 

 able. 



Mr. Latham presented some very interest- 

 ing facts and figures which had been secured 

 thru answers to inquiries received from 57 

 beekeepers thruout the country. This set 

 of figures proved most conclusively to those 

 present that Massachusetts is not producing 

 nearly as much honey as she could and 

 should. Especially is tliis true because the 

 wholesale selling price for both comb and 

 extracted honey is higher than in any other 

 state, and the cost of production no greater. 

 Massachusetts honey is mostly sold at retail. 

 On account of lack of uniformity in pack- 

 ing, it is little in demand at wholesale. Mr. 

 Latham is of the opinion that organizations 

 should adopt trade labels and a certain 

 standard in regard to quality of package. 



Miss Dorothy Wright, of Lowell, a very 

 intelligent and attractive woman, spoke very 

 charmingly, emphasizing the desirability of 

 scientific cleanliness in the preparation of 

 honey for the market and the consideration 

 of honey as not merely a substitute for 

 sugar but a new (in the sense that hereto- 

 fore it has not been in very general use) 

 and delicious food. 



]\Iiss Josephine Morse, another Bay State 

 beekeeper, told of a short course in bee- 



keeping given by her last summer. Tliis 

 was followed by a demonstration of wax- 

 rendering by Mr. Byard. 



Thursday morning a joint session was 

 held with the Hampshire, Hampden, and 

 Franklin Beekeepers' Association. After 

 the business meeting at which Pres. 0. M. 

 Smith, of Florence, and Sec.-Treas. B. N. 

 Gates were re-elected, Mr. Smith gave an 

 address on the packing and handling of 

 honey, and showed a wax-extractor with 

 which he produces a fancy wax with a 

 minimum of labor. Dr. W. P. Brooks, Di- 

 rector of the College Experiment Station, 

 told, how to get a good flow of nectar. He 

 gave much valuable information about the 

 treatment of the soil for different crops. 



The beekeepers' part of the program end- 

 ed with a demonstration by Dr. Gates in 

 the honey-extracting room. 



Josephine Morse. 



So. Lancaster, Mass. 



Breed from the Best Color y of the 

 Best Strain 



An aunt of mine who was quite a student 

 of human nature, and a veiy successful 

 physician, used to say that it is better to 

 marry the poorest of a good family than the 

 best of a poor family, even if the former is 

 not so bright, as the children will stand a 

 better chance of being bright. This corres- 

 ponds somewhat to G. W. Phillips' idea of 



