Clayton Leon Farrar | Erie Bee Keeping

This page is dedicated to Professor Dr. Clayton Leon Farrar, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.

Born on 22nd February 1904, Abilene, Dickinson County, Kansas, USA. Died on 2nd October 1970, Amery, Polk County, Wisconsin, USA.

Left color photograph: Mr. Clayton Leon Farrar in 1965.

Clayton Leon Farrar earned his undergraduate degree in Entomology from Kansas State University, and his PhD. from Amherst College. He first taught at the University of Wyoming where he was assigned to the USDA Lab in Beekeeping. In 1938 Clayton joined the faculty at the University of Wisconsin in Madison WI, where he continued teaching and further research in Beekeeping. Eventually he became the chief of the USDA Laboratories in Beekeeping, where he retired in 1963.

Mr. Farrar's key contribution to the beekeeping industry is usage of two-queen system on medium (6-5/8"H) suppers with 12 frames: along with bigger overwintering honey reserves and multiple entrances this system produces gigantic colonies, towering bee hives with record honey production.

Above photo: Mr. Clayton Leon Farrar with Family, December 1933. The family photo-includes his wife, Mildred, and his children. Daughters Nancy on left and Shirley on
right. Son, Maurice, is in middle. Shirley is the daughter that provided biography below.

Short biography of Mr. Clayton Leon Farrar's written by his Daughter, Shirley Satterlund:

* Parents: Edwin and Nellie Farrar. is father owned and operated the FARRAR NURSERY;

* Siblings: Older brother, Milton, younger sister Phyllis;

* Married: Mildred Conkel, November 25, 1926;

* Graduate Degrees: BS - Kansas State; PHD - Amherst, MA;

* Director of the Beekeeping Lab in Laramie, Wyo. 1931. to 1938;

* Director of the Beekeeping Lab in Madison, WI. 1938. to 1963;

* He was asked to head up the National Headquarters for all of the Beekeeping Labs but declined because of health reasons.

* He retired at that time, after 30 years of Service and he and his wife moved to northwestern Wisconsin to be near one of their daughters.

* In his retirement they purchased 63 acres of land with an old farm house on it. They named their new home RIVERVIEW as it was located on the Apple River. It was a beautiful spot.

* During his seven years that Clayton Leon Farrar lived there he remodeled the old farmhouse, he built a greenhouse and raised orchids, roses, camellias and grew many gloxinias from seed, which he took great pleasure in giving away.

* He also had a colony of bees and a large vegetable garden. He told his daughter once that “Riverview was his Heaven on Earth”.

* In his retirement Clayton Leon Farrar was the speaker, the expert at many Polk County Beekeeping Meetings, which he and his wife regularly attended. If he wasn’t scheduled on the program to be the Speaker, he would most often be at the chalkboard illustrating something that was being discussed.

* Clayton Leon Farrar's early interest in bees came when he was just a boy in an organization which was probably similar to the present 4-H.

* He was very inquisitive about the honey bee and wanted find out EVERYTHING!

* Clayton Leon Farrar was known Internationally for his work with bees. While on Madison, he had many International Visitors. He would always invite them home for dinner, a good home cooked

meal. So his wife and three children had this opportunity to meet and converse with someone from abroad.

* Clayton Leon Farrar mentored quite a number of Grad Students. They became family friends.

* His hobbies included growing roses and other flowers, he was an expert fly fisherman. This came from the time that the family lived in Wyoming and many weekends were spent at the

lakes in the Snowy Range.

* I think his work was his greatest hobby!

Clayton's brother, Milton Dyer Farrar (1901-1977) was also a professor of Entomology and an expert in Beekeeping. Milton earned his degrees from Iowa State University, and joined the faculty at the University of Illinois. Later he accepted a teaching and research position at Clemson University, where he retired as the Dean of Agriculture. Above black and white photo is dated 1924. Clayton is on the left, Milton on the right.

Above photo: Mr. Clayton Leon Farrar, 1930-ies.

Above photo: Mr. Clayton Leon Farrar, 1940.

Above photo: Mr. Clayton Leon Farrar, 1940-ies.

Above photo: Mr. Clayton Leon Farrar, 1958.

Above photo: Mr. Clayton Leon Farrar, 1960-ies.

Relevant works:

- "A measure of some factors affecting the development of the honeybee colony" - 1931;

- "The evaluation of bees for polination" - 1931;

- "The influence of the colony's strength on brood rearing" - 1932;

- "Bees must have pollen" - 1934;

- "Further observations of the flight range of the honey bee in relation to honey production" - In colaboration with A. P. Sturtevant, 1935;

- "The influence of pollen reserves on the surviving populations of overwintered colonies" - 1936;

- "Two-queen vs. single queen colony management" - 1936;

- "The influence of colony populations on honey production" - 1937;

- "New recomendations for the installation of package bees using a spray and direct-release method" - 1938;

- "A preliminary report on the influence of stock on supersedure, or loss, of queen bees" - in colaboration with C. W. Schaefer, 1939;

- "Nosema disease contributes to winter losses and queen supersedure" - 1942;

- "More Honey from Bees" - 1943;

- "An interpretation of the Problems of Wintering the Honeybee Colony" - 1943;

- "Nosema Disease" - 1944;

- "Productive Management of Honeybee Colonies in the Northern States" - 1944;

- "Two queen colony management" - 1946;

- "Nosema losses in package bees as related to queen supersedure and honey yields" - 1947;

- "Two queen colony management for production of honey" - 1958;

- "The life of the honey bee: Its biology and behavior with an introduction to managing the honey-bee colony" - 1968.

Burial place of Dr. Clayton Leon Farrar:

Amery Cemetery, Central Street, Amery, Polk County, Wisconsin, USA
PLOT Sec 9 West
MEMORIAL ID 88092913

RIP!

P.S. Note from Mr. Aleksandar Buntic of MV POWER LLC of Erie, PA:

In creating this web page I have support from the following organizations and individuals:

- Farrar's former employer, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA;

- Mr. Maurice Farrar, MD;

- Mr. Edward Masterka;

- Mr. Marc Farrar, Son of Mr. Maurice Farrar and Grandson of Mr. Clayton Leon Farrar.

If you are able to help us further, with photos and his articles - please contact me ASAP.

Thank you!

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