This history is designed to cover American beekeeping down to the time of the World War. In some cases it has been necessary to cover events since that date in order to complete the story of subjects initiated prior to that time.

It will be noticed that but little of the work of living men is discussed except incidentally. It is too soon to measure the value of work which is unfinished, and it is easy to be misled by present popularity or lack of appreciation and thus form misguided opinions.

The World War brought great changes to American beekeeping with emphasis on production and marketing of honey, rather than on beekeeping as an interesting diversion, as it long had been. With the high prices which came with the postwar boom, expansion became the rule, and the rank and file of beemen became honey producers rather than beekeepers as of old.

The old-time leadership, which rested with men who lived leisurely among the bees, has been replaced by scientifically trained men in the U. S. Department of Agriculture and our state institutions. When, during the war, Phillips and Demuth conducted their short course schools of apiculture in many widely separated places, they paved the way for institutional leadership.

The Bee Culture Laboratory under Dr. E. F. Phillips undertook research in a variety of problems too difficult for the beekeeper or requiring facilities beyond his reach. Many new facts have been brought to light, the far-reaching results of which it is too soon to measure. Several state agricultural experiment stations have followed with research investigations far in advance of former years. Most of this work is left for measure in future years after there has been time for its completion and opportunity for observation of its effect.

One thing is very clear; we have abandoned the old paths. The old-time beekeeper was something of a naturalist, interested primarily in the behavior of his bees. The beekeeper is now a business man interested primarily in the sale of enough honey to maintain the present day standard of living and give his family the things that the new generation demands.

This change came suddenly with the World War, which up rooted so many human institutions, and closed that period some times spoken of as "The Golden Age of Beekeeping. "

Frank Chapman Pellett, Hamilton, Illinois,

January 26, 1938.