STATUS OF APICULTURE IN UNITED STATES. 61 



making it almost impossible for the up-to-date bee keeper to sell 

 his honey for what it is worth in the same community. This con- 

 dition of affairs would not occur were it not for the fact that, for 

 table use at least, honey does not rank as a necessity, and the usual 

 causes for changes in market price do not operate so completely ;i- 

 i< the case with other commodities. 



The main objection to numerous small bee keepers, rather than 

 fewer and more expert ones deeply engaged in the industry, is, that 

 when the larger number is interested it can not be hoped that all will 

 become proficient. Under normal circumstances this matters little, 

 since anyone has a right to neglect his bees if he so desires, but when 

 some contagious disease is present in a region this becomes a seri<>u> 

 matter. The expert bee keeper can not hope to rid his bees of dis- 

 ease if there are a great many unqualified bee keepers in his neighbor- 

 hood. Under such a circumstance — which unfortunately is becom- 

 ing quite general in this country — the negligent bee keeper keeps 

 property which, if diseased, constitutes a nuisance, and is a constant 

 menace to the progressive man, for it is impossible to tell when 

 neglected colonies may become infected. 



If progress is to be made toward getting the largest possible honey 

 crop from the United States, it will hardly be done by making bee 

 keepers who own an average of 5 colonies. It must be done by pro- 

 gressive bee keepers financially interested to an extent sufficient to 

 compel them to combat disease and to do their utmost to get the 

 entire crop. We may not hope to attain this ultimate condition. 

 but an effort might be made to discourage negligent and indifferent 

 bee keeping. 



In spite of the fact that bee keeping is the sole occupation of but 

 few, it nevertheless commands attention in that it adds considerably 

 to the resources of the country and increases the income of thousands 

 of people. The possibilities for its increase are great, and the ad- 

 vancement of this vocation is a worthy object as aiming to save for 

 human use a resource which is now so generally wasted. 



SCOPE OF THE INDUSTRY. 



It is very difficult to estimate accurately the annual value of the 

 products of the apiary, but from various sources of information it is 

 reasonable to suppose that the value of the honey produced annually 

 in the United States is on the average about $20,000,000 and of wax 

 about 82, 000, 000. Since the honey harvest depends so completely 

 on various climatic conditions affecting the secretion of nectar, it is 

 obvious that there is an enormous variation in the annual yield. 



As nearly as can be learned, the number of sect ions for comb honey 

 manufactured annually by supply dealers is between 60,000,000 and 



