No. 4.] 



INSPECTOR OF APIARIES. 



409 



disease spread from New York State soon after it gained a 

 foothold in America. Gradually it worked its way, as investi- 

 gations have shown, toward the east, and has since been found 

 in practically every quarter of Massachusetts. Its prevalence 

 in Berkshire County, however, has been of considerable dura- 

 tion, and has seriously depleted the apiaries and discouraged 

 the beekeepers. The first efforts at suppression were greeted 

 with enthusiasm by many, yet with a bit of skepticism as to 

 the ultimate results. It was not anticipated that in so short a 

 time as three years there would be a decided and marked re- 

 duction in disease, together with an increase in the number of 

 colonies in some apiaries. To be sure, this increase has been 

 small as yet, but this has been in part due to unfavorable cli- 

 matic conditions for three successive years. 



The general results are shown in Table 1, and are most en- 

 couraging. It will be wrong to make too sweeping predictions 

 from these results, but they show what can be accomplished 

 in a short time by persistent, conscientious and sometimes radi- 

 cal weeding out of disease. It will be surprising, even to some 

 residents of Berkshire County, to learn that the percentage of 

 infected apiaries has in this short space of time dropped from 

 45 per cent to 14 per cent, with a corresponding and even more 

 marked drop in the number of infected colonies in these api- 

 aries from 43 per cent to 7 per cent. 



Table 1. — The Comparative Status of Apiaries in Berkshire County, 

 Massachusetts, in 1911 and 1914- 



• European foul brood only in this county. 



This comparative status has a more significant meaning. It 

 shows the results of supervision by an inspector who is an 

 educator and an enthusiast. Encouraged by what we have 

 seen accomplished already in Berkshire County, we may hope 



