8 THE AGRICULTURAL SITUATION FoR 1918. 
needed by the beekeeper makes personal instructions even more neces- 
sary ‘than in other branches of agriculture. 
Several States have inaugurated apiary inspection. Wherever this 
has proven beneficial the work has been conducted. as an educational 
campaign rather than with a show of the police authority granted 
by the laws. Apiary inspection, however, was devised as a plan to 
save the beekeeping industry rather 'than to increase it. It must be 
remembered that when these laws were passed it would have been 
difficult in many cases to obtain an appropriation for educational 
work in beekeeping. Inspection has served a most useful purpose, but 
with the development of extension work in the various lines of agri- 
culture, the time will probably soon come when inspection should 
give way to extension work in beekeeping. 
From time to time courses in beekeeping have been introduced in 
various agricultural colleges, but many of these were short-lived. 
During the last seven years this work has come to be recognized at 
its true value, and permanent courses are rapidly being introduced. 
A commendable effort has been made by the teachers of beekeeping in 
the colleges to standardize the courses, and great good may be ex- 
pected of the college work. An effort is being made to make these 
courses practical, and in so far as this can be done they should assist 
students to become high grade commercial beekeepers. In connection 
with this work some extension work has been undertaken. Extension 
work in beekeeping is now being conducted in the 15 southern States 
and in various parts of the North and West by the Bureau of Ento- 
mology, in cooperation with the extension service of the various States, 
with satisfying results. In addition; it is planned to appoint several 
commercial beekeepers who are to devote their winters to assisting 
in each of these regions. 
It seems best to limit the emergency extension activities to those 
regions where a considerable increase in the honey crop may reason- 
ably be expected in the immediate future. While the constructive work 
in regions where beekeeping is undeveloped is still valuable, it becomes 
more necessary to work for immediate returns. With this is view, 
certain States in the North and West have been placed in seven dis- 
tricts with at least one extension specialist in each district. Not -all 
parts of these States are equally promising, and consequently within 
each district the greatest effort will be made in the more promising 
regions. So far as possible the districts are formed with due regard 
to a similarity of the honey crop, thus giving better opportunity for 
each specialist to put forth his best effort for increasing the honey 
supply. 
It ig hoped. and believed that the active effort of er practical 
specialists will stimulate commercial beekeepers to their greatest 
efforts and will result in a permanent improvement of the beekeeping 
industry by emphasizing the essentials of beekeeping. The extension 
work will come under circumstances which impel every patriotic bee- 
keeper to desire all available information and assistance, and it is 
expected that the beekeeping industry will not:only do its share: in 
the war but will benefit permanently by its patriotic effort. 
