870 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



November, 1917 



be n frame slightly shorter than the L. s.'za 

 but deeper, with ten frames in a body 

 slig'htl}' wider than the L. size. But as I 

 am in a community where the standard L. 

 size predominates and have learned to work 



them to my entire satisfaction, as Mr. Byer 

 suggests, I am satisfied, not only with the 

 style but in the knowledge that the L. 

 standard is perhaps the nearest perfect of 

 any in the market today. 



RE A LIZING 

 the growing 

 needs of the 

 beekeeping in- 

 dustry of this state the faculty of the 

 Agricultural and Mechanical College of 

 Texas is now providing courses in apicul- 

 ture. These courses were adopted in 1916 

 and are offered this year for the fix-st time. 

 The courses were prepared by and will be 

 under the personal direction of Prof. S. W. 

 Bilsing, of the Department of Entomology. 

 There are noAv many students attending the 

 Institution who are directly interested in 

 beekeeping at home, and there is every rea- 

 son why they should be given an oppor- 

 tunity to further their knoAvledge of this 

 industry. These courses will fill a loug- 

 felt want in this state, which stands at the 

 head of the list of the honey-producing 

 states. 



Tlie first course is offered to the students 

 of the regular four-year college course. It 

 will consist of classroom lessons supple- 

 mented by laboratoiy practice. This course 

 is required of all students in the Entomol- 

 ogy group, and is elective to all students 

 taking the Agricultural course. Included 

 in the course is a study of the history and 

 djevelopment of the beekeeping industry 

 from early times ; a study of the biology and 

 life-history of the honej^bee; races and 

 types of bees; apiary management which 

 will include a study of honey production and 

 marketing of the apiaiy products; honey 

 tlora of the state; apiary by-products; ele- 

 mentary queen-rearing, and a study of bee 

 diseases. In addition to the lectures and 

 recitations supplementary reading of the 

 beekeeping literature will be given to enable 

 the student to become fully acquainted with 

 the modern problems and workers of the 

 industiy. In the practice work the student 

 will have an opportunity to study and as- 

 semble all makes of equipment and accesso- 

 ries, and can thus learn the uses of all the 

 modern beekeeping appliances. Actual 

 apiary practice will be given, and a study 

 will be made of some of the larger and suc- 

 cessful apiai*ies of the state. 



The second course is offered to the stu- 

 dents of the two-year course in agriculture. 

 This course will follow the general outline 



IN TEXAS 



F. B. Paddock, State Entomologist 



of the first 

 course, e x c ept 

 that the more 

 teclmical phases 

 of the subject will be omitted. Particular 

 attention will be given to conditions as they 

 are related to the farm life of this state. 

 The practice work given with this course 

 will be very similar to that given with the 

 first coui'se. The students will be given an 

 opportunity to handle the bees in the api- 

 aiy, with an idea of improving conditions 

 of beekeeping as an adjunct to the farm. 



The work in both of the courses is offer- 

 ed during the second half of the year. This 

 will enable the students to get that phase of 

 the subject most needed. 



The Department of Entomology is now 

 well equipped to give these courses to the 

 students. The apiary is at pi*esent small, 

 but will be enlarged as the work in the 

 courses demands. This will give the stu- 

 dents an excellent opportunity to see what 

 can be done with a small start. Queens of 

 the best type, produced by Texas breeders, 

 will be maintained in all of the colonies. 

 This will afford the student a chance to 

 study the different strains of the various 

 races of bees. Honey production from 

 various angles will be brought to the atten- 

 tion of the student. The equipment in- 

 cludes automatic honey-extractors and wax- 

 presses. 



A honey-house will be built in the near 

 future, it being provided for by the last 

 liCgislature. Prof. Bilsing is now gather- 

 ing data, and will plan the house along tb? 

 most approved lines. Room will be pro- 

 vided in the house to accommodate the 

 classes in apiculture. 



The objects of thie courses in apiculture 

 may be briefly stated as follows : 1. To im- 

 prove the beekeeping conditibus of the 

 state ; 2. To encourage the keeping of bees 

 on more farms in this state; 3. To train the 

 students to act as investigators in apicul- 

 ture, and to train students who may be 

 qualified to serve as foul-brood inspectors. 



ASSISTANT ENTOMOLOGIST IN CHArC.E OF 

 FOUL BROOD. 



On October 1 Mr. W. E. Jackson as- 

 sumed his duties as Assistant Entomolofgist 

 of the Texas Experiment Station. i-As 



