BEE KEEPING IN MASSACHUSETTS. 107 



A thousand colonies or more are annually used in cucumber green- 

 houses. Since practically all of these colonies are useless after com- 

 ing out of the houses, there is a constant demand and sale for bees* 

 Several greenhouse men use from 40 to 80 colonies a year. The 

 average number reported is 8 colonies. In the sale of bees the several 

 counties, exclusive of Barnstable, Berkshire, and Suffolk, sold in 1906 

 approximately one-fifth of all their bees, spring count. In Plymouth 

 County the sale amounted to 39 per cent. The total income amounted 

 to between $5,000 and $6,000. The queen-rearing industry is limited 

 to a few persons and late springs make it difficult to compete with 

 southern producers. 



The chief enemy reported is the bee moth. There is great doubt, 

 however, if the damage attributed is really and primarily due to it. 

 There is ? on the other hand, sufficient reason to believe that disease 

 is primary and that destruction by the moth is secondary. Gipsy 

 and brown-tail moths are also reported as interfering severely with 

 apiculture in the eastern part of the State. 



Massachusetts is particularly fortunate and in some ways in 

 advance of other communities in her bee keepers' institutions. Not 

 alone do local societies aim to promote bee keeping, but the State 

 Board of Agriculture, State Experiment Station, and Agricultural 

 Station as well, are deeply interested in the advancement of api- 

 culture. 



A LIST OE THE MORE IMPORTANT ARTICLES ON BEE KEEPING IN 



MASSACHUSETTS. 



1906. Massachusetts field meeting. American Bee-Keeper, XVI, pp. 3S8- 

 189. 



1908 Worcester County (Mass.) eomentiom American Bee-Keeper, XVIII, 

 p. 43. 



190S Has annual meeting. Worcester County Bee Keepers* Association 

 Elects Officers. American Bee-Keeper, XVIII, pp. 40-41. 

 Adams, Geo. W. 



190G Farm bee keepers [m Massachusetts], American Bee-Keeper, XVI, 

 pp. 88-89. 



1906. Massachusetts bee keeping in 1644 Supply manufacturing before 

 the days of new-fangled fixtures. American Bee-Keeper, XVI, 

 pp. 180-181. 

 Babcock, L B. 



1855. Bees. Norfolk [County]. The agriculture of Massachusetts as shown 

 in returns of the agricultural societies, 1854. Prepared by Charles 

 L. Flint. Bound with Second Annual Report of the Secretary of 

 Massachusetts Board of Agriculture. Boston. Pp. 403-405. 

 Brooks, Jennie. 



1909. Memories of Langstroth by one who knew him in her childhood. 

 Bee Keepers' Review, XXII, No. 2, pp. 39-42. 

 Canning, Josiah D., Chairman ; Cowles, David S. ; Wright, Asahel. 



1854, Bees and honey The agriculture of Massachusetts, as shown in the 

 returns of the agricultural societies, 1853. Prepared by Charles 

 L. Flmt. Bound with First Annual Beport of the Secretary of 

 Massachusetts Boaid of Agnculture. Boston. Bp. 390-393 



