This May 12 will mark ten years since the passing of Roger A, Morse, "a Cornell University entomology professor who brought the science of apiculture to the practice of beekeeping." I thought it fitting to present some of his early prescient writings. I hope he will be remembered by all who gather this January in Orlando.

THE SCOPE OF THE BEEKEEPING INDUSTRY IN FLORIDA 
ROGER A. MORSE State Plant Board of Florida, Gainesville 

According to J. J. Wilder (1928) one of the first apiaries of any size in Florida was established in 1872 where the city of Daytona now stands. A company from New York City settled in the Daytona area and attracted considerable attention by coming to Florida in the fall and returning to New York in the spring with a cargo of oranges and honey.  

HONEY PRODUCTION IN FLORIDA 

Florida beekeepers produced their first million pounds of honey in the late 1920's, and during the 1930's consistently produced over a million pounds each year. Honey production in Florida has gradually increased and in 1954 Florida ranked third among the states. In 1955 Florida dropped to fifth place. While honey production has increased appreciably, the number of colonies of honey bees in Florida has only a little more than doubled during the past twenty years. The increased honey production can be traced in part to the increased citrus plantings. At the same time a part of this gain is proof of the value of improved methods and equipment used in the industry today. A few decades ago many colonies were kept in skeps, hollow logs and boxes without movable combs. Today only a few hundred colonies are maintained under such conditions.	Modern beekeepers are moving their colonies in and around the State, taking ad- vantages of several honeyflows. An example of this mass movement of colonies is found in the over twenty thousand colonies which are moved to Florida each year, largely from other southern states, mostly for the orange honeyflow.  

APIARY INSPECTION IN FLORIDA  

The State Plant Board of Florida began American foulbrood inspection in 1920. Until the fiscal year of 1954 the State Plant Board checked, on an average, about fifty per cent of the colonies in the State. By concentrating their efforts in the heavy honey-producing areas, State Plant Board inspectors were able to keep the incidence of the disease below levels of one per cent. As migratory operations have increased, disease control has become more difficult, and during the past few years the incidence of American foulbrood has increased. Approximately 57 per cent of the colonies in Florida were inspected during the fiscal year of 1954, while in 1955 approximately 66 per cent were inspected. The incidence of disease dropped from 1.597 per cent in 1954 to 0.903 per cent in 1955.  Migratory operations will continue to increase, especially as more citrus trees come into bearing and more colonies are attracted into the State each year. Increased inspection will be necessary to keep the disease level below one per cent. Beekeepers in the State recently requested the rescinding of a State Plant Board regulation which permitted the treatment of American foulbrood with sulfathiazole.	

Treatment of infected colonies had been used, in lieu of destruction by fire. Chemotherapy has proved to be impractical for the control of bee diseases in the field, and in the best interests of the industry the Plant Board rescinded its regulation.  

THE VALUE OF HONEY BEES AS POLLINATORS 

The protection of the beekeeping industry by the State Plant Board is not based solely on the value of the honey and beeswax produced. With- out honey bees for pollination, the production of some crops would be nearly impossible in Florida. During the past three years entomologists from the State Plant Board have been collecting and studying the wild bee populations in Florida. Some wild bees, such as the bumble bee, are helpful in the production of various crops, but 90-95 per cent of the pollination of the crops listed is accomplished by honey bees.  Some of the seed crops are of major importance in Florida, while others, especially the production of clover seed, are just now gaining importance here. Pollination of clover is not only important where the crop is produced for seed, but also in pastures where re-seeding is desired. 

THE VALUE OF HONEY BEES IN CITRUS POLLINATION 

Citrus blossoms produce a copious supply of nectar and attract a large number of insects, including honey bees and other pollinators. Orange honey is, and has been for a long time, the major honey crop in Florida. Colonies of honey bees may be found in abundance in the groves during the flowering period. Since there is always an abundance of honey bees, their value or effectiveness is often overlooked. Citrus, to a large extent, is self-pollinated.	

There is some indication, however, that during years when there is a drought, or there has been a freeze, cross pollination may be of considerable value in setting fruit. Recently Van Horn and Todd (1954), researchers in Arizona, worked on the pollination of Clementine (Algerian) tangerines. Four experiments were set up: first, a caged tree from which insects were excluded; second, a caged tree with a colony of honey bees inside; third, a caged tree with honey bees and bouquets of Hamlin orange, and later Meyer lemon blossoms; fourth, trees left to chance pollination. Trees in experiment three gave sixteen times more fruit than those in experiment number one; twice as much fruit as trees in experiment number two, and sixteen per cent more fruit than trees in experiment number four. Fruit produced under conditions in experiment number three was of better quality. More data concerning other varieties of citrus are needed to determine the relative value of honey bees to the citrus grower. The role the honey bee plays is probably more important than most people realize. Unlike growers in the northern apple producing areas, citrus growers probably will not need to rent bees for pollination inasmuch as citrus honey provides the bulk of the beekeepers' income in Florida. Growers who assist beekeepers in locating bees in groves undoubtedly are being well paid.

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