32 



Among other things shown by the above table is that Massachu- 

 setts, with slightly more than one-half the number of farms that 

 California has, reports only about one-sixth as many as having 

 bees upon them. In Massachusetts we have only a total of one- 

 fifteenth as many swarms of bees as California, yielding an annual 

 income of $18,412 for honey and wax, against $331,939 for the 

 latter State. In other words, the 6,915 bee keepers of California 

 receive eighteen times as much income froto their bees as do the 

 1,799 apiarists of Massachusetts. This difference can be ac- 

 counted for in part by the slightly larger income derived from 

 each swarm in California over that obtained from a Massachu- 

 setts colony. The California bees yield an income of about $2.57 

 per swarm ; those of Massachusetts, $2.20. 



Undoubtedly the flora and climate of some of the western and 

 southern States are more favorable for bee keeping than are those 

 of Massachusetts, but these conditions do not account for the 

 great difference in the income derived or to be derived from bees. 



A reference to the complete table printed in the Year Book of 

 the Department of Agriculture shows that New York stands, of 

 all the States and territories, second in value of honey and wax 

 produced, $352,795, while eighth in number of swarms kept. The 

 average money yield in 1899 for honey and wax (not including 

 increase in swarms) was $1.88 per swarm. It would seem that 

 our State is as well located, geographically, for successful bee 

 culture as is New York. That we have as large a nectar yielding 

 flora there can be little doubt. 



A comparison of the returns from Vermont and Massachusetts 

 shows that the Vermont farmers keep a much larger number of 

 swarms of bees than our farmers do. With practically the same 

 number of farms reporting, Massachusetts having only 79 more 

 than Vermont, Massachusetts farmers report only 8,381 hives, 

 valued at $35,751, $4.26 per hive, while Vermont has 12,836 

 swarms, valued at $46,953, $3.58 per swarm. The total value of 

 honey and wax to Vermont bee keepers in 1899 was $27,290, 

 while our own farmers received only $18,412 for their bee prod- 

 ucts. Much of the Vermont honey is sold in Massachusetts. 



The geographical situation of our own State is more favorable 

 for bee keeping than is Vermont ; and there seems to be no good 

 reason why we should not produce sufficient honey for home con- 

 sumption, instead of purchasing from neighboring States. Our 

 cities are teeming with people of moderate means who are anxious 

 to move into the country in order to enjoy more quiet and health- 

 ful surroundings and occupations. The great difficulty that con- 

 fronts them is to find a locality not so remote from a large place 



