6 DISEASES OF BEES 



It adds greatly to the pleasure of gardening ; it gives a new interest 

 to the man who has retired from a busy life in the town to a quieter 

 life in the country ; it is an indispensable adjunct to the growing 

 of fruit — which is considerably increasing in this country. Further, 

 it caters for a healthy and growing public demand ; for honey is a 

 healthy food, supplying in a very agreeable form something not 

 easily obtainable elsewhere, and which more and more people 

 are learning to appreciate and desire. 



Further evidence of the interest now being taken in beekeeping 

 and in honey production is that a National Mark has been 

 established for honey. Owing to certain difficulties of definition 

 it was found necessary to carry on investigations into the properties 

 of honey ; these have been started at Rothamsted under a grant 

 provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Research Council. 

 It is not unreasonable to suppose that these official bodies were 

 influenced in their decision to bear the whole cost of this work by 

 the fact that the beekeepers were already showing the reality of 

 their own interest in the matter by providing funds for the study of 

 bee diseases. 



The Conference, having heard the papers, unanimously carried 

 the resolution moved by Dr. Gregg and Dr. Thompson urging that 

 the work should be continued. It was very gratifying to the Rotham- 

 sted Staff that two such well-known authorities should have thus 

 supported their work. We at Rothamsted are prepared to carry 

 on the work : it remains only for the Beekeeping Associations to 

 do their share. With co-operation and good will, success is bound 

 to come. 



