274 



J^ENNESSEE AGRICULTURE 



REPORT OF TH]© STATE INSPECTOR OF APIARIES. 



To the Commissioner of Agriculture, T. F. Peck. 



Sir: In compliance with section lo of the Tennessee Apiary Law, 

 I respectfully submit the following epitome of my ofificial services for 

 the year 1913. 



The year igiT, was a very favorable one for the beekeepers of 

 Tennessee, notwithstanding the severe drouth during the summer. The 

 hone\' flow from white clover was an unusuall}' heavy one over nearly 

 the whole State, followed in many locations 1)\- a good fall flow from 

 the aster bloom. The amount of honey and wax gathered can safely 

 be estimated at $300,000.00. Thev honey harvest was so great that 

 most of the beekeepers are encouraged to increase their apiaries and 

 many farmers are arranging to add beekeeping as a side line to their 



Apiary Inspection in Cumberland County. 



general farm work. About one farm in every nine have bees upon 

 them ; of the 250,000 farms in the State about 28,000 of them report 

 beekeeping as a side line. The number of colonies in the State will 

 approximate 200,000, which gives a valuation at only $2.50 each of 

 $400,000.00. The great majorit)- of these swarms, however, are kept 

 in the old fashion box hives or "bee-gums." Oy transferring from 

 these to the modern, scientific hive and keeping them after apVoved 

 methods, the honey and wax returns could easily be brought up from 

 $225,000.00 to over $1,000,000.00 annually. 



The middle latitude of the State \\here extremes of temperature 

 are seldom experienced, the varied and widespread honey-yieldin- 

 flora, the abundant rainfall and the comparative freedom from the 

 deadly foul brood diseases makes the outlook for Tennessee as a 

 beekeeping State very flattering. Again, Tennessee is making rapid 

 progress m her orchard and truck gardening industries, and in these 



