xviii BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Apiaky Inspection. 

 The Legislature at the last session passed a special bill 

 for the appointment of an apiary inspector by this Board, to 

 serve until March 31, 1911, with an appropriation of $500. 

 The declared purpose of the Legislature was to allow a trial 

 of the work, to ascertain whether it was necessary and whether 

 what was claimed for it could be accomplished. At the 

 special business meeting, at Amherst, the Board elected Bur- 

 ton IsT. Gates, Ph.D., of Washington, D. C., and formerly of 

 Worcester, as State Inspector of Apiaries. With the small 

 sum at his command and the late date of beginning the work 

 he could accomplish only a small part of what needed to be 

 done. His investigations have established the presence of 

 foul brood in all sections of the State, and have determined 

 the fact that bees have been practically wiped out over large 

 areas. The im.portance of this matter can be better under- 

 stood when it is known that cucumber growers are absolutely 

 dependent upon bees for the setting of the blossoms, and 

 that in many cases the introduction of diseased colonies, un- 

 able to do the work, has led to heavy losses in the greenhouses. 

 Further, fruit growers are in a large measure dependent upon 

 bees for cross-fertilization of fruit blossoms, and experiments 

 have shown that many partial failures of the crop have been 

 due to their absence. The beekeepers appreciate the fact 

 that this work is necessary for the preservation of their in- 

 dustry, and strongly favor its being made permanent. The 

 details will be shown in the annual report of the Inspector 

 of Apiaries, to be presented at this meeting, also plans for 

 future work. I would recommend that this Board present 

 a bill to the Legislature making this work permanent, and 

 calling for an appropriation of $2,000 per annum. Careful 

 estimates show that this sum is necessary for the next few 

 years at least. 



ISTuESERY Inspection. 



The State Xursery Inspector met with many difficulties 

 in the carrying out of the work of the year, and was only 

 able to do so through the aid of the United States govern- 



