184 Seventeenth Annual Report of the 



All ribes were destroyed except in one small pine planting in 

 the vicinity of a large cultivated currant plantation. In this 

 instance the pines were destroyed and the ribes carefully inspected 

 several times during the season to see if they had become infected 

 with the disease. 



The rest of the Forest, Fish and Game Commission plantings 

 were inspected by agents of the Forest, Fish and Game Commis- 

 sion in a like manner. Also, their nurseries of German transplants 

 have been examined carefully and all diseased trees or suspected 

 trees have been destroyed. These plantings will all be carefully 

 inspected again this spring for the blister rust stage of pine or 

 summer spores and all diseased trees or suspected trees removed. 



BEE INSPECTION 



Four agents have been employed during the calendar year of 

 1909. The following are the statistics of the work : 



Number of apiaries visited.... 883 Number <>i colonies condemned, 1,638 

 Number of colonies examined.. 47,042 Number of colonies destroyed.. 437 

 Number <>f colonies diseased... 2,577 Colonies reduced to 46,759 



These figures show thai more diseased colonies were loinnl than 

 in the preceding year. This is accounted tor bv the tact that tin 1 

 contagious disease breaks out on the border of territory previously 

 affected, principally because wild bees in trees and elsewhere 

 become affected with brood diseases and are robbed of their stores 

 by the apiaries in the vicinity. 



Nearly all cases of disease were caused by European foul brood, 

 though pickled brood is found occasionally in the state. Instruc- 

 tions for treatment were given to the owners or caretakers of 

 apiaries containing diseased colonies and practical demonstration 

 of proper method of treatment was given. 



In most cases where diseased colonies were found, they were 

 promptly treated by the owner and where carefully done the treat- 

 ment was usually effective. Less prejudice or opposition towards 

 inspection was experienced this year, as the bee-keepers have 

 become better informed in regard to the nature and dangers of the 

 disease. The honey crop of the state has been rather light owing 

 to prolonged droughts. This fact contributed in a measure to the 

 spread of brood diseases, as the disease is less virulent in seasons 

 of a liberal honey flow. 



