206 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



immediately in the greenhouse, causing the cucumber pro- 

 ducer hundreds of dollars loss witliin a few days. The 

 reverse of the situation is also true. If the beekeeper is 

 not given the protection of inspection, and the assurance that 

 his bees are in a healthy condition, he is fearful that the 

 grower of cucumbers will fail to buy his bees, going out 

 of the State to get them if necessary. Thus the market is 

 endangered. 



It has come to light this season that as soon as the disease 

 situation is under control there will be additional investment 

 in bees from the commercial standpoint. One man from 

 without the State is already buying up colonies, and plans 

 to put several hundred in Massachusetts. Another beekeeper 

 has spoken of running a series of out-apiaries in a certain 

 promising portion of the State. Unfortunately, however, the 

 locality is in one of the worst infected regions, and, unless 

 it is cleaned up, will prevent the venture. Yet in disease-free 

 environment it is entirely feasible, and would mean the main- 

 taining, under advanced methods, of a thousand or more 

 colonies. Such an enterprise, properly managed, would bring 

 distinction and recognition to Massachusetts from all over 

 the country. 



Voluntari/ Inspection. — By far the most pronounced 

 effort of the beekeepers to throw off the burden of disease 

 and restore the profitable industry in that superior Berkshire 

 country was by the service of voluntary or self-appointed 

 inspectors. Before the act of the Legislature one experi- 

 enced beekeeper took three towns in his vicinity, some one 

 else took another group of towns, and so the territory was 

 divided. These self-appointed inspectors doubtless did much 

 good ; they at least learned the deplorable condition and 

 the losses of many hundreds of colonies of bees about them, 

 but, as one of them said, they lacked authority. Then there 

 was the personal expense, the demands of other duties, 

 which would mean only intermittent service or work of 

 short duration. It had its significance in that it showed 

 that the effort to solve the problem has merit, underlies a 

 profitable vocation, has the confidence of the beekeepers, and 

 is desired and supported by them. 



