THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW, 



209 



know that there are many questions connect- 

 ed with bee-keeping that are unanswered, 

 and that the correct answer to them would 

 make of bee-keeping a more safe and ijrof- 

 itable pursuit. Frank Benton writes me that 

 there are about twenty different lines of ex- 

 perimental work that he would like to take 

 up, in some of which he has already planned 

 the experiments that he would conduct, and 

 he considers some of them of more impor- 

 tance than his climatic mailing cage and 

 food for shipping queens, but he has no op- 

 portunity to make these experinents at pre- 

 sent. 



Not only this, but there are new problems 

 continually coming up that will need to be 

 solved. One man, working in a careful 

 methodical way, having bees, appliances 

 and means at his command, can do more to 

 settle the knotty problems of apiculture, than 

 can all of the bee-keepers of the State work- 

 ing in a hap hazard manner. If each State 

 and Territory had an experimental apiary 

 manned by a competent person and the re- 

 ports of the work published in the journals, 

 so that bee-keepers could read and criticise 

 and suggest as the work is going on, "climb 

 up in chairs and help," as friend Hasty puts 

 it, bee-keeping would receive another boom 

 and such a one as would help those already 

 in the business. The Review is going to 

 work to try and have bee-keeping recog- 

 nized at the State Experimental Stations. 

 Each State and Territory receives from the 

 general government $15,000 annually to carry 

 on experiments in agriculture, horticulture 

 and the like. You do not need to be told 

 that bee-keeping has been almost entirely 

 neglected at these stations. Dr. Miller gives 

 as reasons for this neglect that the directors 

 of the Stations or the State Boards of Agri- 

 culture, are uninformed in regard to the im- 

 portance and needs of apiculture, and that 

 bee-keepers have been too modest in asking 

 for their rights. I think he is correct. I 

 feel confident that the bee-keepers of any 

 State can have an experimental apiary if 

 they will only go to work to secure it. But, 

 as I said last month, passing resolutions and 

 appointing committes at conventions will 

 not do it: there must be some work done by 

 some one. The resolutions and committees 

 are all right as preliminary moves. The 

 State Board of Agriculture will listen to a 

 committee from the State Association of bee- 

 keepers when it would pay very little atten- 

 tion to individual reiiuests. Put the right 



men on the committee. Men of experience 

 and good sense. Another thing: raise some 

 money, even if you have to do it by subscrip- 

 tion, to pay the expense of the committee in 

 meeting with the State Board of Agricul- 

 ture. Of course the expense may not be 

 very heavy, but the individual members of 

 the committee ought not to be asked to bear 

 it. Perhaps the funds of the bee-Keepers' 

 Union might be used to advantage in helping 

 to bear the expenses of such committees. 

 If the Union would bear half of such ex- 

 penses I believe it would be money well 

 spent. What does its manager and others 

 think? 



After a State Board has decided to use 

 money for apicultural experimental work, 

 let bee-keepers look to it, and look sharp, 

 too, that the work is placed in the right 

 hands. This is the most important point of 

 all. Let the bee-keepers select the man. 

 Perhaps it would be a good plan to select 

 him by a vote at a meeting of the State As- 

 sociation. Let him be a practical bee-keep- 

 er, one who has raised some honey and 

 managed a good sized apiary. There is 

 nothing like actual work in a good sized 

 apiary to euable a man to comprehend what 

 bee-keepers really need to know. Don't get 

 simply some theoretical writer for the press. 

 Get a man to whom bee-keepers will look 

 with confidence. I could name half a dozen 

 men in as many different States, who, I 

 know, would fill the bill. 



The August Review is to be devoted to a 

 discussion of ''Experimental Apiculture," 

 and I shall be glad of articles on the subject. 

 Send in suggestions as to the establishment 

 of experimental apiaries, the selection of the 

 apiarists, experiments that ought to be con- 

 ducted, how the work should be done, etc., 

 etc. 



A VISIT TO THE MICH. EXPEBIMENTAL APIAEY. 



I have just returned from a visit to Mich- 

 igan's experimental apiary which is now in 

 full blast. Mr. Taylor has put the State api- 

 ary right in with his own and will devote 

 more or less of the whole 300 colonies to ex- 

 perimental work. As shown by the cut on 

 the next page, the apiary is very pleasantly 

 located. The ground slopes toward the East 

 and the numerous trees give an abundance 

 of shade. In fact, about one-half of the 

 hives are hidden from view in the picture by 

 the trees. In the background may be seen 

 the top of the wind-mill and the roofs and 



I. 



