﻿CoMMissio:!^ER 
  OF 
  Ageicultuke. 
  71 
  

  

  October 
  he 
  examined 
  894 
  swarms 
  and 
  found 
  64 
  diseased; 
  in 
  all 
  

   in 
  the 
  four 
  months 
  he 
  examined 
  7,988 
  swarms 
  and 
  found 
  1,604 
  

   diseased, 
  i. 
  e., 
  one 
  swarm 
  in 
  fire 
  or 
  20 
  per 
  cent, 
  of 
  the 
  broods 
  

   examined 
  were 
  diseased. 
  Of 
  course, 
  these 
  figures 
  do 
  not 
  cover 
  

   all 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  relative 
  to 
  diseased 
  bees. 
  It 
  simply 
  indicates 
  the 
  

   number 
  of 
  diseased 
  apiaries 
  and 
  the 
  swarms 
  examined 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  

   the 
  examination 
  was 
  done. 
  I 
  am 
  reliably 
  informed 
  that 
  there 
  

   are 
  many 
  bee 
  keepers 
  who 
  had 
  nearly 
  all 
  they 
  were 
  worth 
  in- 
  

   vested 
  in 
  bees 
  and 
  lost 
  all, 
  the 
  entire 
  colony 
  dying 
  before 
  the 
  

   enactment 
  of 
  this 
  law 
  or 
  before 
  Mr. 
  West 
  went 
  to 
  work. 
  I 
  am 
  

   told 
  that 
  one 
  man, 
  who 
  had 
  300 
  swarms, 
  lost 
  280 
  in 
  a 
  short 
  period 
  

   of 
  time. 
  I 
  only 
  speak 
  of 
  this 
  instance 
  to 
  call 
  your 
  attention 
  to 
  

   the 
  fact 
  that 
  this 
  disease 
  is 
  a 
  terrible 
  scourge 
  to 
  a 
  great 
  industry 
  

   in 
  this 
  State, 
  and 
  if 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  handled 
  successfully 
  will 
  ultimately 
  

   ruin 
  the 
  industry 
  of 
  bee 
  keeping. 
  

  

  Thus 
  far 
  this 
  season 
  since 
  this 
  Department 
  began 
  operations 
  

   under 
  the 
  law 
  above 
  referred 
  to, 
  we 
  have 
  reason 
  to 
  believe 
  that 
  

   we 
  have 
  stopped 
  the 
  progress 
  of 
  the 
  disease 
  and 
  hope 
  to 
  be 
  able 
  

   next 
  season 
  to 
  so 
  instruct 
  and 
  enlighten 
  the 
  bee 
  keepers 
  that 
  

   with 
  their 
  efforts 
  we 
  may 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  wdpe 
  the 
  disease 
  entirely 
  out 
  

   of 
  the 
  State. 
  

  

  LINSEED 
  OIL. 
  

  

  An 
  examination 
  of 
  linseed 
  oil 
  being 
  sold 
  or 
  offered 
  for 
  sale 
  in 
  

   the 
  State 
  of 
  Xew 
  York 
  during 
  the 
  past 
  year 
  discloses 
  the 
  fact 
  

   that 
  nearly 
  all 
  of 
  it 
  is 
  pure. 
  There 
  have 
  been 
  but 
  few 
  oases 
  of 
  

   such 
  oil 
  being 
  exposed 
  for 
  sale 
  that 
  were 
  in 
  violation 
  of 
  the 
  statute. 
  

   In 
  these 
  cases 
  the 
  defendants 
  were 
  apparently 
  ignorant 
  of 
  the 
  

   fact. 
  We 
  have 
  notified 
  them 
  and 
  all 
  dealers 
  of 
  the 
  law 
  and 
  

   warned 
  them 
  to 
  be 
  careful 
  in 
  their 
  future 
  purchases; 
  that 
  after 
  

   they 
  have 
  once 
  been 
  warned 
  of 
  the 
  law 
  violations 
  would 
  be 
  fol- 
  

   lowed 
  by 
  action 
  for 
  penalty. 
  Up 
  to 
  date 
  we 
  have 
  tried 
  no 
  actions 
  

   for 
  violation 
  of 
  this 
  statute, 
  as 
  the 
  violations 
  have 
  been 
  few 
  and 
  

   trivial. 
  

  

  