434 Beekeeping 



Honey crop reports. 



In 1914 the Bureau of Crop Estimates of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture inaugurated a system of crop reports 

 on honey. The first report was on the condition of the bees 

 and of honey-producing plants on May 1st, to enable bee- 

 keepers and others interested to form an opinion as to the 

 probable results of the season. At the close of the season a 

 report of the crop was issued. When it is considered that 

 this is the first attempt at anything of this kind, it is encour- 

 aging to l,earn from beekeepers that the estimate for the 

 various states coincides closely with their experience. In 

 1915 a somewhat more elaborate program is proposed. It 

 will, of course, be recognized that reporters need experience 

 in work of this character before they can give data which 

 are most serviceable, but there is every reason to hope that with 

 an accumulation of data for several years these reports will 

 be of great value to honey producers. The beekeeper will 

 then be provided with reliable data which heretofore have 

 been obtainable only by honey buyers through their business 

 connections and he will thus be enabled to know what he 

 should ask for his products. 



Educational work in J^eekeeping. 



The advances of past years in beekeeping have come 

 chiefly through an exchange of ideas and results through the 

 journals and books on this subject and more recently by the 

 distribution of bulletins from the Federal and State labora- 

 tories devoted to beekeeping. It is now coming to be 

 generally accepted that these educational agencies are not 

 entirely sufficient and also that the industry is worthy of 

 more recognition. Several agricultural colleges are now 

 teaching beekeeping and it is being included to a liiiiited 

 extent in the extension work of various institutions. If 

 this work can be enlarged adequately there is a great future 

 for the industry along commercial lines and it is to the 

 interest of every person engaged in any branch of beekeep- 

 ing activities to further this development. 



