No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 461 



disguise; so we hope out of the fight against these diseases we may 

 come with better bees and apiaries, greater efficiency and larger 

 profits. Of the two diseases, the American type is perhaps the most 

 difficult to treat; yet the European is the most to be dreaded on ac- 

 count of its rapid spreading in an apiary, and then into neighbor- 

 ing apiaries and surrounding centers of infection, and the rapid 

 decimation of a colonj"^ attacked. 



The causes of the spread of the diseases may be summed up in two 

 words: Ignorance and carelessness; not ignorant stupidity, but a 

 lack of knowledge of the form and manner of the diseases. Many per- 

 sons think their bees died from starvation, ''froze to death," or the 

 "worms killed them," when, if the facts were known, it would have 

 been found they died from infection of one of the brood diseases. 



The means of dissemination are several: The shii)ping of bees, 

 or moving them from one place to another; the sending of queens in 

 cages which contain food mixed with infected honey; and often honey 

 cans, section boxes and other containers are thrown in garbage places 

 where bees will find the infected honey and carry it back to the hives. 

 Undoubtedly the most serious way of infection is that of robbing out 

 a weakened colony. Sometimes a quiet robbing takes place that only 

 an experienced person will detect. It is a question much under dis- 

 cussion at the present that the European type, on account of its 

 rapidity in spreading, is carried by the bees on their bodies to the 

 fields, and flowers and other bees coming in contact with the same 

 flower may carry the germs back to other colonies in the same or 

 other apiaries. This is thought probable also from the fact that 

 diseased larvae from the American type are never touched by the 

 bees, while under favorable conditions they will clean out the dis- 

 eased larvae of the European type. So that in trying to rid their 

 own colony of the infection they may throw the germs outside of 

 their own hives or carry them to the fields. 



For curing the disease there are several methods given in journals. 

 State bulletins, and by the inspectors. It would lengthen this report 

 to go into details. One fact has been confirmed by all authorities: 

 That black bees more readily succumb to the disease than do the 

 Italians; and, also, where vigorous Italian queens have been intro- 

 duced into infected colonies a permanent cure has been effected with- 

 out any further operation. 



Morley Pettit, the Provincial Inspector of Ontario, Canada, says, 

 "The cure for American Foul Brood is only permanent when pure 

 bred Italian queens are introduced by all black or hybrid stocks." 

 "Pure bred Italian bees of vigorous stock are almost immune to 

 European Foul Brood." 



If the State expenditure shall be of the utmost benefit, it is of 

 the greatest importance that the State receive the co-operation of 

 every man whose interests are touched. The remedy for foul-brood 

 is in harmony with the best system of bee-keeping that must be fol- 

 lowed in order to obtain the greatest success, even if there were no 

 diseases. "Keep bees better and keep better bees." 



