LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. 



TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 



DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY, 

 Washington, D. (7., May 27, 1899. 



SIR : I have the honor to transmit herewith for republication a manual 

 entitled, Tm- Honey Bee: A Manual of Instruction in Apiculture, by 

 Mr. Frank Benton, who has been in charge of the apiarian work of this 

 Division for several years. The constant demand for information con- 

 cerning bee culture for a long time indicated a need for such a public 

 manual, and the work was begun and nearly completed under the direc- 

 tion of my predecessor, Dr. C. V. Riley. The manuscript was sub- 

 mitted September 20, 1895, and the edition of 1,000 copies was soon 

 exhausted. In April, 1896, Congress ordered a reprint of 20,000 copies, 

 in which some corrections and additions were made by the author. lie 

 has also taken advantage of the reprint of another (the third) edition 

 to make some slight additional changes. 



The apiarian industry in the United States is practically a develop- 

 ment of the last forty years, although isolated individuals were engaged 

 in this work long prior to that time. The importance of the industry 

 at the present day is not generally realized, and the following figures 

 will probably be surprising to many well-informed individuals: 

 Apiarian societies in the United States ................................. 110 



Apiarian journals ...................................................... 



Steam factories for the manufacture of beehives and apiarian implements. 15 



Honey produced in the United States in 1869 (according to United States 



Census Report) ................. . ........................... pounds . . 14, 702, 815 



Honey produced in the United States in 1889 (according to United States 



Census Report) ............................................. pounds . . 63, 894, 186 



Persons engaged in the culture of bees (estimated) ..................... 300, 000 



Honey and wax produced, at wholesale rates (Eleventh Census) ......... $7, 000, 000 



Mr. Benton's estimate of the present annual value of apiarian products. $20, 000, 000 



As supplementary to these figures it may be stated that in addition 

 to the 15 steam power factories there is a very large number of smaller 

 factories, using mainly hand and horse power, which are engaged in the 

 production of supplies, such as hives, smokers, honey extractors, sec- 

 tions, comb foundation, and other apiarian apparatus. It is estimated 

 by Mr. Benton that the present existing flora of the United States 

 could undoubtedly support, with the same average profit, ten times the 



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