FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR OF 

 APIARIES. 



To the Honorable State Board of Agriculture. 



I respectfully present the fourth annual report of the State 

 Inspector of Apiaries for the fiscal year 1913. 



The active season in the apiary during 1913 revealed 

 several features peculiar to that yfear. The long-protracted 

 drought materially handicapped successful operations, even 

 under normal conditions. Throughout the country it was 

 the general experience that the honey crop was considerably 

 lessened, probably by the lack of sufficient moisture to enable 

 proper growth of nectariferous plants. This was especially 

 true east of the Mississippi River. In Massachusetts some 

 fair crops were obtained locally, but it cannot be said that the 

 season was in any way favorable to honey production. This 

 fact increased the difficulty of successful building-up and 

 maintenance of colonies, and made them more liable to the 

 ravages of disease. More care and attention are due colonies 

 under treatment during adverse climatic conditions ; those 

 who fail to give proper attention and necessary nutriment 

 experience difficulties. 



The protracted fall has revealed that the bees consumed- 

 early a considerable portion of their winter stores, which 

 may result in unsuccessful wintering or starvation during 

 the current winter of 1913-14. 



Summarily, conditions throughout the State have shown 

 improvement. Several local outbreaks of infection were dis- 

 covered, and it is thought surrounded or checked. The older 

 and known infected districts have been closely guarded. It 

 is noticeable, too, in those districts where disease was once 

 bad, that the present percentage of reinfection is apparently 



