60 MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS ON APICULTURE. 



According to the census of 1900 the average number of colonies on 

 farms reporting them was 5.8106, valued at $14.40 — a very small 

 investment. In some recent work of this Bureau" it has been 

 found that in the State of Massachusetts the average number of 

 colonies reported was 5.5 per bee keeper. This last figure should not 

 be taken as an index to the condition in the whole country, for as 

 one goes farther west the holdings are found to be larger. In Cali- 

 fornia, for example, while there are some small apiaries, the majority 

 are quite large, and the average is several times that of Massachusetts. 

 The number taken from the census can scarcely be accepted as 

 correct. 



The number of men who rely solely on the production of honey 

 and wax for a livelihood is rather small, and most of the extensive 

 producers of the West carry on some other business, at least for the 

 part of the year when the bees are less active. The reason for this 

 is found in the nature of the industry. Any location is limited as to 

 the number of colonies of bees which it will support, and in con- 

 sequence a bee keeper must either carry on some other business or 

 establish numerous outapiaries to enable him to keep bees enough 

 to make it an occupation which will support him. Since the estab- 

 lishment of outapiaries is attended with certain disadvantages, it 

 usually follows that bee keeping becomes a minor part of a man's 

 occupation or even a side line. 



Then, too, bee keeping is taken up by many as a recreation or a 

 subject of nature study. Such persons do not wish to make it their 

 sole or main occupation. Many farmers also keep a few colonies of 

 bees and add to their income to some extent in that way. It is 

 obvious that bee keeping must continue to be an avocation in the 

 majority of cases. 



This brings up for consideration a question which has been much 

 discussed by those interested in bringing about an advance in the 

 industry: Shall an attempt be made to increase the number of bee 

 keepers, or to make better ones of a smaller number? Bee keepers 

 who follow the pursuit on a commercial scale are usually anxious 

 that there be no increase in the number engaged in the business, 

 but rather a decrease, with an accompanying advance in the pro- 

 ficiency of those so engaged. This desire is not wholly selfish, for 

 unless the increase is directly in the territory of the individual his crop 

 is not affected. 



It frequently happens that a local market is ruined, temporarily 

 at least, by some uninformed bee keeper who keeps a few colonies 

 and sells a poor grade of honey for a ridiculously low price, thus 



« Gates, Burton N. — Bee Keeping in Massachusetts. Bulletin Xo. 75, Part VII, 

 Bureau of Entomology, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. (In preparation.) 



