1905 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



903 



BEES TO THE FRONT. 



It fairly made my blood tingle the other 

 day as I went up through the magnificent 

 lawn from Pennsylvania Avenue to the main 

 building of the Department of Agricultyre, 

 to note in a very prominent place on the 

 lawn to the left of the main entrance a beau- 

 tiful well-equipped apiary. At first this 

 would seem strange; but why? An observ- 

 atory or even a weather-gauge would cause 

 no remark nor create any wonder; yet not 

 the moon nor the stars, nor even our control 

 of the weather, plays anything like so im- 

 portant a factor in. the real welfare of the 

 people as do the little bees that populate 

 these same hives. It is good that the bees 

 conserve nectar that would otherwise go to 

 waste. It is good to have this food, par ex- 

 cellence, saved to nourish our people. Yet 

 the function of bees in pollinating plants is 

 indefinitely more important to us as a people 

 and as a nation. Successful agriculture lies 

 at the root of all success. It is of the 

 greatest moment, then, to foster that 

 which pushes for success on the farm. 

 There is hardly any one thing in the econo- 

 my of nature that helps so much toward 

 success as do bees in their great work of 

 cross-poUination of plants. It occurs to me 

 that two of the greatest discoveries in mod- 

 ern science are, first, this work of cross- 

 pollination by the honey-bee; and, secondly, 

 the even greater work of our minute bacte- 

 rial friends in their operations to increase 

 the fertility of our soils. I need say no 

 more in explanation of my appreciative plea- 

 sure in seeing this apiary in so prominent 

 a place on the agricultural grounds at Wash- 

 ington. 



DR. E. F. PHILLIPS? 



It was my pleasure two days ago to spend 

 a considerable period with one of the as- 

 sistants in the apiarian division of the Bu- 

 reau of Entomology, Dr. E. F. Phillips. He 

 is well knoMm to Gleanings and its readers. 

 Indeed, he and we have reason for gratitude 

 for what The A. I. Root Co. has done for 

 him. Is it not one of the grandest charac- 

 teristics of the science of to-day that it is 

 most pleased when it is utilitarian ? The 

 science that helps may not be the best sci- 

 ence, but it is certainly better that it helps. 

 Dr. Phillips recognizes this fact, and so he 

 spent his vacations, even while yet in col- 

 lege, at the very hub of apiarian activity on 

 this continent if not in the world. That he 

 got a very valuable if not the best part of 

 his education right here goes without say- 

 ing. I am exceedingly pleased that Dr. 

 Phillips is selected to take charge at Wash- 

 ington during Mr. Benton's absence. I be- 

 lieve it is a wise appointment. Dr. Phillips 

 has a thorough scientific training. He is 

 enthusiastic in the direction of the bee and 

 the apiary. He has a natural adaptability 

 to work and study in this direction. That 

 we shall see results from this wise choice I 

 have not the least doubt. I believe Dr. 

 Phillips will give to all our bee journals the 

 points of interest and value which he may 



develop in the lines of research under his 

 charge. Dr. Phillips took as his thesis work, 

 while yet an undergraduate in the Universi- 

 ty of Pennsylvania, the subject of the wax- 

 glands in the honey-bee. Later he did ex- 

 tensive work on the subject of parthenogen- 

 esis, the truth of which he demonstrated by 

 his own research while yet in the Universi- 

 ty. We see, then, that we could hardly 

 have a man better fitted for such lines of 

 investigation than is Dr. Phillips. 



THREE IMPORTANT LINES OF INVESTIGATION,. 



Here, again, the government had best do- 

 that which the individual is unable to do, or,, 

 mayhap, from the circumstances will not 

 do, and yet that which promises advantage 

 to all practical workers in the field. I had a 

 long talk with Dr. Phillips regarding this 

 research work. He feels as enthusiastic as 

 I do regarding the importance of determin- 

 ing in what sections of our country apicul- 

 ture may be practiced with certainty of 

 success. It is well to gather up the nectar 

 from the flowers of every part of the coun- 

 try. It is far more more important to do 

 any thing that shall scatter apiaries broad- 

 cast throughout our land. We have all ad- 

 mired the intensive agriculture of the Old 

 World. Is not one feature of that intensity 

 that which, perhaps, helps most to bring 

 greater remuneration, the greater abun- 

 dance of bees, and thus the more thorough 

 cross- pollination of the various vegetables 

 and fruits which swell the earnings of the 

 tillers of the soil? I believe this is a matter 

 of the greatest economic importance to dem- 

 onstrate in just what sections of our great 

 country apiculture will succeed. I believe 

 they are far more numerous than we wot of. 

 Of course, in time we shall find that out 

 from individual effort with no help from the 

 government; yet this will be very tardy, and 

 very costly tardiness. I have no doubt that 

 Dr. Phillips will counsel research in this di- 

 rection. From his evident ability we may 

 be just as sure that his suggestions will 

 have weight with the powers that be. 



The second line of research, which is very 

 desirable, is in the line of the importation of 

 new varieties and species which may prom- 

 ise improvement to our bee-keepers. Mr. 

 Benton is now in the East working in these 

 lines. It is doubtful if any one else in the 

 world is so well fitted for this work as Mr. 

 Benton. It may be that we shall get no 

 improvement; but so long as there is unrest 

 among our most enterprising bee-keepers, 

 and a desire to try these foreign bees, just 

 so long there will be a waste of energy that 

 we can ill afford. It is to be hoped that 

 Mr. Benton will bring us something valuable 

 in the practical work of the apiary. If this 

 is impossible we may rest assured that he 

 will settle the matter, and so we shall deem 

 it no longer necessary to agitate exploita- 

 tion in this matter. 



The third line of research has to do with 

 the improvement of our races, and why 

 not? We have improved our cattle, horses, 

 sheep, and hogs to a marvelous degree. 



