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JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOAIOLOGY 



[Vol. S 



integral part of the whole. The inspection work, however, is not 

 disassociated from the work at the College any more than the con- 

 verse is true. The work of the state being a unit requires that all 

 its features be interlocking; the College helps the inspection work and 

 the inspection is essential to the college. 



At present the law allows but four inspectors, three of whom are 

 deputies, with an appropriation of S2,0C0 per annum. This is de- 

 cidedly inadequate to satisfactorih^ meet the demands. 



Inspection Policy. — ^Massachusetts, like most New England states, 

 is exceedingh^ conservative. The beekeepers are zealous in demanding 

 attention; therefore they cannot be skipped. It4ias been found that 

 to go into any one locality and visit only a few of the beekeepers there, 

 brings down a rain of complaints from the other beekeepers. Conse- 

 quently the policj' of inspection in Massachusetts is slightly different 

 from that in some states, where it has been advocated that onh^ such 

 apiaries be visited as are known to be diseased or of enough commer- 

 cial importance to warrant inspection. Directly opposed to this policy, 

 Massachusetts inspection has been an apiary to apiary canvass, start- 

 ing with a center or focus of infection. Gradually the inspector en- 

 larges his territory from this central point by concentric circles, until 

 the limit of infection is found. A map of the inspection work would 

 show that relatively well-defined areas of infection occur. Of course 

 there are some few scattering cases, which are gradually checked up. 

 That this method applies in Massachusetts has been proven from the 

 demands of the beekeepers and from the decrease of infection in given 

 localities. I take, for illustration, the county of Berkshire, where 

 beekeeping prospers particular!}^, and where, being against New^ York 

 State, infection with European foul brood in 1910 and 1911 was very 

 general. The beekeepers, too, were discouraged. They thought dis- 

 ease had come to staj^. Now the disease is on the wane and bee- 

 keeping is on the climb. Apiaries are being enlarged. Moreover, 

 beekeepers are of a better and more earnest type, as might be ex- 

 pected. The shiftless, let-alone beekeeper has had to go. A few more 

 years doubtless will show greater improvement; but, the present status 

 may be learned from the table below\ 



CoMP-^ATi^-E Table, Showing the Bee-Disease Status 

 OF Berkshire County, Mass., in 1914 



Apiaries 



Colonies 



Visited 

 1911 154 

 1914 179 



Infected 

 70 or 45% 

 25 or 14% 



Examined 

 980 

 1028 



Infected* 

 439 or 43 %a 

 72 or 7% 



*Entirely European foul brood in this County. 



