434 
Beekeeping 
Honey crop reports. 
In 1914 the Bureau of Crop Estimates of the Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture inaugurated a system of crop reports 
on honey. The first report was on the condition of the bees 
and of honey-producing plants on May 1st, to enable bee¬ 
keepers and others interested to form an opinion as to the 
probable results of the season. At the close of the season a 
report of the crop was issued. When it is considered that 
this is the first attempt at anything of this kind, it is encour¬ 
aging to l,earn from beekeepers that the estimate for the 
various states coincides closely with their experience. In 
1915 a somewhat more elaborate program is proposed. It 
will, of course, be recognized that reporters need experience 
in work of this character before they can give data which 
are most serviceable, but there is every reason to hope that with 
an accumulation of data for several years these reports will 
be of great value to honey producers. The beekeeper will 
then be provided with reliable data which heretofore have 
been obtainable only by honey buyers through their business 
connections and he will thus be enabled to know what he 
should ask for his products. 
Educational work in beekeeping. 
The advances of past years in beekeeping have come 
chiefly through an exchange of ideas and results through the 
journals and books on this subject and more recently by the 
distribution of bulletins from the Federal and State labora¬ 
tories devoted to beekeeping. It is now coming to be 
generally accepted that these educational agencies are not 
entirely sufficient and also that the industry is worthy of 
more recognition. Several agricultural colleges are now 
teaching beekeeping and it is being included to a limited 
extent in the extension work of various institutions. If 
this work can be enlarged adequately there is a great future 
for the industry along commercial lines and it is to the 
interest of every person engaged in any branch of beekeep¬ 
ing activities to further this development. 
