UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



BULLETIN No. 489 A 



fit 18 



"**SJ . L \-m^ Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology. *>L»u <^m - 



J^Y^J-U L. O. HOWARD, Chief. j£&*S&U 



Washington, D. C. ▼ December 2, 1916 



A SURVEY OF BEEKEEPING IN NORTH CAROLINA. 



By E. G. Cark, Specialist in Beekeeping. 



Page. 



Introduction 1 



Present conditions 2 



Possibilities under North Carolina 



conditions 13 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Needs of the beekeeping industry in 



North Carolina 16 



Summary 16 



INTRODUCTION. 



A survey of the State of North Carolina recently has been made 

 in order to determine the present conditions, possibilities, and needs 

 of the business of beekeeping, with .special reference to the best 

 means of supplying these needs. It seemed desirable to learn why 

 North Carolina beekeepers are receiving relatively small returns, 

 whereas there was a reason to believe that opportunities for profit- 

 able beekeeping were on every hand. This survey began October 1 

 and ended December 22, 1915. 



In this survey, counties of Surrey, Henderson, Clay, Haywood, 

 Jackson, Buncombe, Madison, Mitchell, McDowell, Iredell, Ran- 

 dolph, , Forsyth, Guilford, Alamance, Pamlico, Beaufort, Pender, 

 Washington, Martin, and Sampson were included. 



The census figures for the year 1909 show 36,248 farms reporting 

 bees, with a total number of colonies of 189,178, thus giving the 

 State fourth rank for number of colonies in the United States. The 

 honey produced was valued at $211,607 and the wax at $18,979, a 

 total valuation of $230,586, which gives the State eleventh rank in 



Note. — This bulletin treats particularly of beekeeping conditions in North Carolina, but 

 is of interest to beekeepers generally. 



The author wishes to express his appreciation to the beekeepers visited for many kind- 

 nesses, also to the county agents, who greatly facilitated the work by arranging for 

 meetings of beekeepers. He also expresses his appreciation of the aid furnished by Prof. 

 Franklin Sherman, jr., State entomologist, for data concerning beekeepers and for as- 

 sistance in planning routes. 



57568°— Bull. 489—16 



