32 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



February 



THE VALUE OF APICULTURE IN 

 AMERICA. 



By "Swarthmore." 



ALTHOUGH there are thousands 

 of doUars invested in bees in 

 this country, and even though 

 hundreds of tons of honey are pro- 

 duced each yeai", the industry of api- 

 culture is yet in its infancy. 



It is only recently that any serious 

 thought has been given to organization 

 with a view to systematic and agres- 

 sive marketing at a profit. 



Even by the crude methods employed 

 by producers in past years apiculture 

 has paid large returns from the capital 

 invested^what wonders can be ex- 

 pected from o'i'ganized force has been 

 proven time and time again. Take 

 for instance the fruit product of Cali- 

 fornia. There was a time when quite 

 al.l the luscious fruit of the Paciiic 

 slope were left to rot on the ground 

 for the simple reason that organized 

 effort had not been directed to thor- 

 ough distribution of the product in 

 marketable form. 



The fruit growers of California or- 

 ganized and there is now hardly a city, 

 town or hamlet in the United States 

 where the fruits of the Pacific slope 

 cannot be purchased at a reasonable, 

 pro/fitable figure— all due to thorough 

 organization and consequent adequate 

 marketing facilities together with care- 

 ful packing and selected grades. The 

 fruit industry under the management 

 of consolidated interests has redeemed 

 the State of California. 



Honey is largely used in the manu- 

 facture of many articles of food be- 

 cause of its wondrous preserving qual- 

 ities; cakes, for instance, will never 

 become hard or dry if honey enters 

 into the mixture; beer is more quickly 

 fermented and tobacco is better packed 

 in plugs when honey is used. 



Aside from that used in packing 

 food products and in the preserving of 

 fruits and confections, there are food 

 qualities in honey pure and simple 

 which have l)oen acknowledged the 

 world over for centuries. 



What seems to be most lacking in 

 the handling of honey is its proper 

 placing before the consumer in neat, 

 inexpensive jiackages and the pushing 

 of sales through judicious advertising. 

 If such a sweet as corn syrup can be 



proifitably moved in this manner sure- 

 ly honey has a most brilliant future. 

 Swarthmore, Pa. 



Ohio's New Foul Brood BilL 



The young bee-keepers' association 

 recently organized in Hamilton county, 

 Ohio, has been "stirring up the ani- 

 mals" in the Buckeye State, and its 

 latest move in the direction of improv- 

 ing apicultural conditions in Ohio has 

 been the drafting of a foul brood bill, 

 which is now before the Ohio legisla- 

 ture. We have received a copy of the 

 bill from Secretary Gilliland, and have 

 pleasure in presenting the full text 

 thereof, as follows: 



70th General Assembly, Regular Ses- 

 sion. 



Mr. Herrick. 

 A BILL. 

 To provide for county inspectors of 

 apiaries and defining their duties 

 and providing for their compensa- 

 tion, for the purpose of curing and 

 avoiding foul brood, or other dis- 

 eases, among bees and their hives. 



Be it enacted by the General Assem- 

 bly of the State of Ohio: 



Section 1. That, whenever a petition 

 is presented to the "board of county 

 commissioners, of any county in the 

 State of Ohio, signed by three or more 

 persons, all of whom are residents of 

 the said county, and possessor of an 

 apiary or place where bees are kept, 

 stating that certain apiaries within 

 said county, are infected with the dis- 

 ease known as foul brood, or any other 

 disease, which is injurious to bees 

 or their larvae, praying that an inspec- 

 tor be appointed by said board of coun- 

 ty commissioners, said board of coun- 

 ty commissioners, shall within five 

 days, after the presentation of said 

 petition, appoint a person, as bee in- 

 spector, who is a resident of said coun- 

 ty who shall be a skilled bee-keeper, 

 having thorough knowledge of foul 

 brood and other diseases injurious to 

 bees and their larvae and the treat- 

 ment of same. 



Section 2. The person so appointed 

 shall within five days after his appoint- 

 ment file with the said board his writ- 

 ten acceptance of the office, or, in de- 

 fault thereof, or in case of vacancy, 

 the board shall in the same manner 

 make new appointments until the said 

 office is filled. The inspector shall 

 hold his office for two years and until 



