54 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



There is much territory that remains yet unvisited simply for ths 

 lack of time. I have reports from several new localities where 

 disease is thought to be in existence. These places will be visited 

 when the proper season comes for that work. I do not expect to 

 find disease in each locality so reported, for the uninformed are 

 often likely to be mistaken in their conclusions. If they find dead 

 brood in their hives they are alarmed and at once report a case 

 of foulbrood, but when investigated it frequently proves to be 

 nothing but starved brood. A little honey or sugar syrup given 

 at the right time would have saved them, and saved a trip for the 

 inspector also. 



People are not always to be blamed for these mistakes, 

 especially where they have had no experience with bee disease. 

 In such cases I take pains to explain the nature of bee disease and 

 its treatment, so that next time they will know better how to 

 diagnose the trouble. I find many who need instruction in the 

 general care and management of bees, before they are capable of 

 treating disease. I have tried to give such information as best 

 I could in the limited -time I had. 



The work of the past two seasons has demonstrated the need 

 of making provision for some additional work in this department : 



First — the inspector should be given the authority to appoint 

 deputies to look after special work when, during his absence, he 

 deems it necessary; so that diseased colonies will not remain un- 

 treated from the first visit until the second. Only a few days 

 would be required for this special work, and it would greatly aid 

 in the work of eradicating disease, and also enable the inspector 

 to get over more territory. 



Second — provision should be made so that the inspector's 

 duties in the development and protecting of the industry, 

 should cover the whole field of agriculture in such a manner that 

 any work for the good of the industry could be taken up. This 

 would make room for some experimental work which we have 

 sadly felt the need during the past season. In the management 

 and treatment of the trouble called "pickled brood," a trouble 

 which in many respects closely resembles European foulbrood, it 

 is difficult at timics to tell just what treatment is best. This 

 trouble has been very severe in some localities during the past 

 season, almost wiping out of existence whole yards. Some cases 

 were found where two troubles seemed to be working together. A 

 few careful experiments would have told whether or not the 

 trouble was of a contagious nature ; then we could have applied the 



