REPORT UPON THE EXPERIMENTAL APIARY 

 AT THE AGRICULTURAL AND ME- 

 CHANICAL COLLEGE. 



FRED. W. MALLY AND WILMON NEWELL. 



The Twenty-seventh Legislature of the State of Texas appropriated 

 the sum of $750 for the establishment and maintenance of an experi- 

 mental apiary at the Agricultural and Mechanical College, for the pur- 

 pose of giving instruction in bee culture to the students of that institu- 

 tion, and for investigating such problems of bee keeping in Texas as 

 would benefit those engaged in this industry. The task of establishing 

 and maintaining this apiary was assigned to the Department of Ento- 

 mology. Of the $750, $500 was appropriated for use during the year 

 ending September 1, 1902. Owing to inability to secure competent 

 assistance for this department, the establishment of the Experimental 

 Apiary was not begun until March 1, 1902. Even then, owing to a rush 

 of orders at the factories, it was impossible to secure the necessary sup- 

 plies for this work until about May 10th. The forepart of the season of 

 1902 was, in the vicinity of the College, exceedingly dry, and hence unfa- 

 vorable for the best success in the breeding and care, of the bees, as well 

 as making it impossible to get the best results in the experimental work 

 with cultivated honey plants. In all its phases, the work has been sub- 

 ject to unavoidable and vexatious delays. 



One of the first things done was to enclose a tract of land of about ten 

 acres for the purpose of securing a proper place for the honey house and 

 apiary, as well as for sufficient ground for carrying on experiments with 

 honey-producing plants. The tract enclosed has running through it a 

 fine wooded ravine, and also encloses a natural grove, making a most 

 ideal location for an apiary. In addition to this, about six acres of 

 ground, which were formerly in pasture, have been broken and put in 

 condition for experimental work. 



The sum of $500 available for the first year's work has been expended 

 as follows : 



Bees and queens $ 33 88 



Freight and express 46 76 



Bee hives and apparatus : 186 18 



Books and technical magazines 11 95 



Seed of honey-producing plants 6 31 



Lumber and fixtures for honey house 149 02 



Tools 53 25 



Incidental expenses 12 65 



Total.. $500 00 



