iy(i5. 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



WORK IN BEE CULTURE. 



Extract from the Report of the 

 Entomologist, of the U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, for 1904, by 

 I'rof. L. O. Howard. 



A great increase in correspondence 

 oil all topics relating to apiculture so 

 far occupied the time of the single iu- 

 ve.stigator in this line that original 

 investigations had to be limited. This 

 Lorrespondence covered nearly every 

 [)hase of the subject, and came from 

 ill parts of the country, indicating a 

 vevj general increase in the interest in 

 Ails branch, and often required special 

 etters of some length to elucidate the 

 nformation needed. Frequent assist- 

 iiiee was rendered teachers connected 

 vith the public ■schools and normal in- 

 stitutes where the natural history of 

 be honey bee, and in some instances 

 ■lementary instructioin in the general 

 Liethods of bee management, formed a 

 lart of the course. Advice was also 

 ;iven in some instances to agricultural 

 ■olleges contemplating the institution 

 if special courses in apiculture. 



A small number of choice queens of 



be Cyprio-Carniolan cross, which has 



iroven such an excellent one for the 



;rid regions of the South and West, 



vere sent out. The extremely dry 



eason in southern California has 



iven a severe test of the remarkable 



nergy shown in honey collecting by 



11 cros-ses containing Cyprian blood; 



nd while it has been necessary 



u many apiaries, in order to prevent 



tarvation of the colonies to ■ feed a 



arge proportion of the Italians and 



lybrids which are chiefly kept in that 



art of the counti'y, reports have been 



ent in showing that 30 to 40 pounds 



f honey per colony have been found 



1 the same apiaries in hives whoee 



ueens were largely of Cyprian blood. 



he comparative test betwen the Cau- 



asians and other types of bees, in- 



huling Cyprians, Carniolians, Itali- 



us. and various crosses between these 



■pes themselves, and also with acci- 



ental mating with black drones, has 



een continued. The conclusion was 



^ached that the Caucasian race was 



y far the gentlest honey bee that ha-s 



rer been brought to this counti'y- 



very manipulation necessary in the 



liary can be performed with Caucas- 



ian colonies without the use of the bee 

 veil, and only in rare instances has 

 it been necessary to apply smoke to 

 control them. Very small quantities 

 were then employed. Under nearly all 

 cii-cumstance-s it would almost be be- 

 lieved by all observers that these bees 

 were stingless. The test regarding 

 their honey-producing qualities has 

 not been as conclusive, since the past 

 year was, in general, a poor one in 

 thi-s region. However, in so far as the 

 compai^ij^n extended, it Avas found 

 that they held their own in honey 

 gathering by the side of the Carniolan 

 race, although not equaling in this re- 

 spect the Cyprian crosses mentioned 

 above. 



The revival in various newspapers 

 of stories relating to the man|ufac- 

 ture and marketing of comb honey has 

 called for repeated denials and a plain 

 statement of the absurdity of the 

 whole matter, as well as the great in- 

 jury it was working to the apiarian in- 

 dustry of the country. The newspap- 

 ers and other publications which had 

 inadvertently been led to publish these 

 inaccuracies have nearly always been 

 very ready, upon a proper presentation 

 of the case, to insert a correction. Par- 

 ticular attention has been drawn to 

 the fact that it would cost far more, by 

 anj^ process whatever, to produce a 

 wax. or imitation-wax comb, fill it 

 with honey, or any mixture designed 

 to resemble honey, and then seal it 

 over ready for the market, than it 

 would to maintain and care for an 

 apiary of the required number of 

 colonies to produce through the agency 

 of the bees themselves the same 

 quantity of natural honey. This shows 

 at once the absurdity of the claim that 

 the greater part, or any part, of the 

 comb honey on the market is an arti- 

 ficially manufactured product. This 

 shovving has also been followed by a 

 statement of the fact that a reputable 

 'firm has for twenty-five years offered 

 to forfeit $1,000 to any person who 

 could produce artificially an imitation 

 of comb honey which would deceive 

 any person when compared with 

 combs that are filled and sealed by the 

 bees themselves. 



Early in the fiscal year the apicul- 

 tural investigator visited the arid 

 regions of the Southwest, making an 

 extended Inspection of apiaries over 



