SPREADING DISEASE FROM THE QUEEN YARD 103 



this disorder, while the stock which had previously been pres- 

 ent in the apiary remained in healthy condition. 



If the business of queen breeding is to remain permanent 

 and profitable, it is highly desirable that concerted action be 

 taken, looking to the control of shipment of queens or bees 

 from diseased apiaries. The buyer should be assured that he 

 will not endanger his future prospects by buying queens anywhere 

 that they are offered. About the only solution that seems readily 

 apparent is federal supervision of queen yards. An increasing 

 number of expert beekeepers are being employed in the exten- 

 sion service of the United States department, and these could 

 be used to inspect all queen-breeding apiaries at least once each 

 year, in connection with their other work. 



Several of the states have provision for the inspection of 

 queen-breeding apiaries, and withhold certificates of health 

 from apiaries where disease is found. However, not all the 

 states have inspection and those that have do not have uniform 

 regulations. The shipment of both bees and queens is becom- 

 ing so general that uniform interstate 'regulations are very de- 

 sirable. 



In the opinion of the author, the future of the business 

 depends very much on the attitude which the queen breeders, 

 as a class, assume toward this question. 



