12 



first aid to the beekeeper was as much our duty as the discovery of foul 

 brood we straightened out the combs and otherwise put the hives into work- 

 able shape. For years this apiary had produced no honey; the season of 

 1911 gave a crop worth about $60 which was only about a fourth of the 

 possible harvest; but in any case it shows that a foul brood inspector in 

 addition to his regular duty can earn his cost in increased honey production. 



Mr. Harris and I parted at Lytton. Careful enquiry on the train indi- 

 cated that there were no beekeepers between Lytton and Agassiz, so I 

 started for that town. Fifteen beekeepers are located here with 57 colonies 

 on the first of April. To say the bees were housed in hives would hardly be 

 telling the truth, as boxes of many varieties predominated. 



In the past the honey crop has been practically nil, but I feel certain the 

 result is due more to apiarian conditions than to the lack of nectar bearing 

 plants. I found in May the bees all in great strength, combs crowded with 

 brood, while a splendid honey-flow from the large leafed maple was piling 

 up surplus honey in hives where there was accommodation for it. So 

 plentiful are these maple trees that I am convinced a skilful beekeeper 

 ought to get quite a crop of what is a very delicious honey from this 

 source alone. 



On May 19 I proceeded to Chilliwack. In this district, comprising Chilli- 

 wack, East Chilliwack, Cheam, Munro, Rosedale and Sardis I found 65 

 beekeepers, and in addition called upon a considerable number of ranchers 

 who were reported to have bees, but whose stock had died out, generally 

 in the winter. In such cases I investigated the cause of the loss and 

 examined the empty hives where such were available, but generally found 

 that insufficient stores, the cold of winter, or insufficient winter protection 

 were reasonable explanations. 



Bees have been "kept in the Chilliwack district for a great many years, 

 but generally in a very neglected way. The hives in common use have long 

 ceased to be favored by good beekeepers as they need high skill to handle 

 them, and it may frankly be said that the average beekeepr in this locality 

 follows no method whatever in caring for his stock. The result is that so 

 far as the possibility of handling the frames is concerned, which is the 

 fundamental need of modern beekeeping, the bees might as well be housed 

 in ordinary packing boxes. To inspect the average hive in this region one 

 has first to pass a long-bladed knife between the frames so as to cut 

 through all the cross combs, then if one wants to give the beekeeper a 

 start towards better conditions the combs on the individual frames have to 

 be trimmed and trued. 



There is considerable variety in the floral conditions in this stretch of 

 flat country, which is probably 20 miles long by 6 miles wide. Towards the 

 mountains the big leafed maple is common and probably is as helpful as at 

 Agassiz. As we approach the river they gradually die away. Over most 

 of the territory the honey-flow is from white clover 'and snowberry bush, 

 but in East Chilliwack there are many acres covered with a variety of 

 Euphorbia, locally known as the Prairie Queen, which yields a very thick 

 honey, rather presentable in appearance, but lacking the fine flavor and 

 aroma so characteristic of white clover. 



The largest apiary, 50 hives, is situated on Fairfield Island, being 

 owned by Mr. H. L. Johnstone. Its location is not the best possible in the 

 district by any means but it is so excellently managed that it produced an 

 average of 66 pounds a hive. 



