j8 Department of Agriculture 



be safely stated that the present consumption of honey in New 

 Jersey could easily be increased tenfold by a judicious advertising 

 campaign. 



It would be folly to estimate the amount of nectar annually wast- 

 ing in New Jersey because of insufficient bees and beekeepers to 

 gather it. The figures would be so large that no one would credit 

 them. It is verv sure, however, that with proper management the 

 bees already in the State would annually produce 35,000 dollars' 

 worth more honey than is now being received from them. 



Doubling the number of colonies in the State and giving them 

 all proper care would result in an increased annual income to the 

 beekeepers of the State of $85,000. This amount, it would seem, 

 is worth while securing, more particularly so since no effort is re- 

 quired by anyone to produce the crop — all that is needed is to 

 gather it. 



Some attempt can be made to compute the value of the nectar 

 which the bees would gather, but the value of the service which 

 they perform as pollenizers cannot be computed. It has been es- 

 timated to be even more than the value of the honey and wax se- 

 cured. Certain it is, however, that the increasing orcharding in 

 the State will create a demand for more honey-bees as pollenizers. 

 In fact, one orchardist has offered $100 for the use of 100 colonies 

 for about 10 days, or during the blossoming period of the fruit 

 trees. 



Beekeeping Literature 



Many of the beekeepers of New Jersey rely entirely too much 

 on folklore in the management of their bees. Such practices as 

 "drumming" to "settle'' a swarm, or "telling the bees'' when a 

 member of the family dies to ward off ill-luck, or refusing to sell 

 bees for fear of "selling their luck" cannot result in profitable bee- 

 keeping. There are causes for all bee activities, and in order that 

 he may direct this activity so that it will result in giving him the 

 greatest profit, the beekeeper needs to learn as much as possible 

 of the causes which underlie these activities. 



Satisfactory results will be had when the beekeeper prevents 

 entirely, or at least controls, swarming rather than trusting to some 

 such incantations as "drumming" and "tanging" to prevent swarms 

 from leaving. 



