EEPOET OF APICULTITRAL EXPERIMENTS IN 1891. 



By A. J. Cook. 



LETTER OF SUBMITTAL. 



Agricultural College, Mich., November 15, 1891. 

 Sir: I beg leave to submit tbe following report of experiments in apiculture for 

 the season of 1891. It will be noticed that in this report the plural pronoun has 

 been used, and this is eminently proper, as Mr. John H. Larrabee has not only had 

 charge of the work directly, but has aided very much by offering many excellent 

 suggestions. 



Respectfully, yours, 



A. J. Cook. 



The past season has been very unfavorable for apieultural experi- 

 ments, not only in Michigan, but throughout the entire country. The 

 secretion of nectar from clover, and indeed from nearly all other honey 

 plants, was very meager indeed. In Michigan the season has been 

 peculiar for drought and cold. The exceptionally cool temperature has 

 been very general throughout the country, while in many sections there 

 has been an excess of rainfall. As the honey production has been very 

 light in nearly all sections, it would seem that the low temperature 

 might be the chief cause of the light honey crop for this season. 



SPECIAL, PLANTING FOR ffONEY. 



The experiments of this season have been a continuation of those of 

 the past three years. The aim has been to determine whether it would 

 be profitable or not to plant solely with the view of increasing the acre- 

 age of honey plants, and so the production of honey. 



As the expense of planting, use of land, and danger of failure to 

 secure a crop are considered, we easily see that we can not hope for 

 a profitable return unless the plants have value besides for honey, are 

 sure to give us honey despite the season, to grow when planted even 

 though drought confronts us, to grow and thrive with but little care 

 after planting, and to hold their own against insects, drought, and all 



discouragements. 



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