236 MARYLAND AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
AVERAGE EXPERIENCE OF Bez Keepers, Hives anp Kinp oF BEES, 
The average length of time during which the bee keepers who ans- 
wered inquiries, had kept bees is 12 years. Of those reporting 38% 
had kept bees less than 5 years. This would indicate that we have 
a number of amateurs in the business. The great majority reported 8 
and 10 years: experience, while many reported keeping bees for 15 to 
20 years. Of those reporting 68% kept Italian bees, which is a good 
sign, as it is believed that this is the most profitable and satisfactory 
race of bees to keep for Maryland conditions. It is not believed that 
all reporting Italian bees meant to report pure stock, but it shows a 
large per cent of good conditions. Moreover from this data it is found 
that about 80% of the bee keepers are using up-to-date frame hives. 
These conditions account for the good average of 30 pounds of honey 
per colony per year that these records show. 
Bree DiszEASES IN THE STATE. 
While funds have not been available to conduct a thorough inves- 
tigation into the conditions of the apiaries of the State, yet through the 
cooperation of the Bureau of Entomology, we have been able to learn 
that the two diseases, European and American foul brood exist in 
several counties in the State. While these diseases will be discussed 
later on in this bulletin, it may be stated that these infectious diseases, 
where established, are disastrous to the apiary if steps are not taken 
to eradicate them. 
There is no more dangerous menace to the industry than néglected 
apiaries infected by these diseases in a neighborhood where healthy 
bees are kept. Moreover, unless measures are adopted to prevent their 
spread, ignorance or neglect on the part of the owners, of apairies will 
certainly reduce, and perhaps annihilate an already neglected industry 
of the State. 
Tue NEeEps or THE INDUSTRY IN MARYLAND. 
Briefly it may be said that the majority of Maryland bee keepers 
need education in-up-to-date methods of bee keeping. The remaining 
old box hives must be replaced by movable frame hives. The apiaries 
of the State should be inspected for the presence of infectious dis- 
eases and those keeping neglected hives should either be made to abol- 
ish them, or to give the bees attention and keep them in a healthy con- 
dition. Funds should be provided for instruction, investigation, and 
extension work by the State institutions, and legislation should be 
enacted stich as now exists in twenty-six other states and territories 
for the protection and the promotion of the industry. 
Maryland offers excellent natural advantages for the development 
of the beekeeping industry and it only remains for the beekeepers them- 
selves to practise more up to date and scientific methods in the con- 
duct of their apiaries and to secure the adoption of proner legislative 
measures to insure the State a more prominent tank in the production 
of bee products. 
