330 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 15 



ling- varieties and species. Among the 

 Dutch East Indies, Borneo, Celebes, and 

 very likely also the Philippine Islands, there 

 are varieties of Apis dorsata or possibly 

 a distinct species recognized by some ento- 

 mologists as Apis zonata, whose workers 

 are said to be even larger than those of dor- 

 sata. To chase off into the interior of Afri- 

 ca, or, worse still, the interior of South 

 America, after bees that are almost certain 

 to be not superior to those we novy^ have, 

 and in many instances are almost surelj^ 

 known to be inferior, would be folly, when 

 the Asiatic territories named, and others 

 adjacent to them, in which Apis dorsata 

 and Apis Indica do exist, are not j-et ex- 

 plored. 



In addition to these, the race of Apis 

 mellifera which is found in Dalmatia, bor- 

 dering on the Adriatic, and the bees from 

 the territory lying between the Black and 

 Caspian Seas, known as the Caucasian 

 race, as well as some of the types, very 

 probably of our species. Apis mellifera, 

 which exist in the Himalaya Mountains, 

 should also receive more attention before 

 going on some other "wild-goose" (bee) 

 chase. 



I have repeatedly advocated an examina- 

 tion of the honey-producing plants of other 

 countries, and the introduction of any which 

 give evidence that they would be valuable 

 in this country. Since large sums of money 

 are annually expended by the government 

 for the distribution of seeds, plants, and 

 cuttings, I see no reason why, if bee-keep- 

 ers were to ask for it, they might not have 

 some attention given to plants that would 

 be of particular value in their occupation. 



Requests have repeatedly come to the 

 Department of Agriculture for lists of trees 

 suitable for planting in cities and towns. 

 In making up these, all points for and 

 against the respective species are consid- 

 ered. I have frequently arranged given 

 lists with reference to their honey-produc- 

 ing value, and in the final account this was 

 taken into consideration. The opportuni- 

 ties in bee-keeping in connection with ra- 

 tional forestry, and the benefits to both in- 

 dustries through their connection, have not 

 escaped my observation, and I have made 

 frequent mention of them to leading for- 

 esters. 



Mr. Morrison says: "But before bee- 

 keepers apply for more recognition let them 

 make up their minds what they really want, 

 before presenting an appeal for aid. It 

 would be a verj' grave mistake to apply 

 without a well-defined program ready, one 

 that would clearlj' appeal to the practical 

 man. Congressmen are very practical men. ' ' 



Before proceeding to discuss the particu- 

 lar points involved in the above, allow me 

 to call attention to Mr. Morrison's new in- 

 consistency, in that he says, referring to 

 the importation of Apis dorsata, " It seems 

 rather doubtful whether we should ask for 

 government aid for such a scheme." Yet 

 in the very next paragraph, when advocat- 

 ing the thorough investigation of the East 



Indies, Siam, South China, South Ameri- 

 ca, and Asiatic Turkey and other countries 

 for their honey-bees he says, " This is hard- 

 ly a field for enterprise, and is just where 

 a kindly government might step in to assist." 



Now, as to having a " well-defined pro- 

 gram. ' ' When a request is presented through 

 the Department of Agriculture for an ap- 

 propriation, a definite program is rarely 

 laid down, but more frequently the general 

 lines of work are indicated which it is 

 believed would be beneficial to carry out; 

 and when the sum is appropriated the par- 

 ticular work to be undertaken is determin- 

 ed by the officials in charge of the general 

 subject: nor are they hampered in this; so 

 that it would suffice, were a general effort 

 made to secure a definite sum of money for 

 experimental work in bee culture, which 

 could be taken to include the investigation 

 of foreign races of bees and honey-produc- 

 ing plants, should other lines not be deemed 

 more imperative at the time. Instead of 

 being " liable to service in all sorts of wild- 

 cat enterprises," as Mr. Morrison seems to 

 fear, it is more likely that one might be tied 

 down to routine work, all very well in it- 

 self, but preventing the accomplishment of 

 enterprises of great importance and value. 

 It is quite certain that any one engaged in 

 experimental work for the government would 

 endeavor to sustain his own reputation by 

 undertaking only legitimate work promis- 

 ing only good results, and would carefully 

 avoid any thing that might be ranked as 

 " wildcat." 



Just here I will digress sufficiently to re- 

 fute the idea which, over Mr. Morrison's 

 name, can be found on p. 554 of Gleanings 

 for July 15, 1898, in which he imputes to the 

 late Prof. C. V. Riley the desire of " spend- 

 ing money on the study of wild bees and 

 not on practical aid to the bee-keeping in- 

 dustry." It was Prof. Riley's desire to 

 solve the problem of Apis dorsata; and had 

 his way been followed, that enterprise 

 would long ago have been put through. 

 This might not have been done with any 

 special appropriation for apiculture, since, 

 contrary to the statements made in the ar- 

 ticle cited, there was at that time no spe- 

 cial appropriation for apiculture, and the 

 funds which were devoted to this purpose 

 by Dr. Riley were drawn from the general 

 appropriation for the Division of Entomol- 

 ogy- 



In conclusion, I have but to reiterate what 



I have frequently said before, that all that 

 is necessary to secure a special appropria- 

 tion to be expended in the interest of api- 

 culture, in whatever lines may be deemed 

 best by those who are competent to decide 

 the matter, and willing to offer their sug- 

 gestions freely, is for apiarian societies and 

 great numbers of bee-keepers of the coun- 

 try to make an active effort to intiuence 

 their members of Congress, and especially 

 the committees on agriculture, to see the 

 justice and importance of devoting a defi- 

 nite and liberal sum to this purpose. 

 Washington, D. C, March 30. 



