110 



ferent families. It is found at this station, as elsewhere, that the 

 smaller sorts of corn, yielding a relatively large proportion of ears, 

 are better for silage than the large, watery varieties destitute of ears. 



Michigan Station, Bulletin No. 61, April, 1890 (pp. 8). 



Foul brood, A. J. Cook, M. S. — This includes popular accounts of 

 fungoid diseases and bacteria in general, and of the species Bacillus 

 alvei, causing foul brood in bees, the symptoms of the disease, and sug- 

 gestions as to its prevention or cure. " It goes without saying that we 

 should be very careful not to introduce combs or honey from diseased 

 colonies into our apiaries, or permit our bees to gain access to such 

 comb or honey; neither is it best to get bees from foul brood apiaries, 

 for tliougb it would seem that the bees can not convey the malady, yet 

 it might come in comb or honey. For like reason, in case foul brood 

 comes into our bee yards, we must .quarantine all diseased colonies, and 

 spare no pains to prevent the bees from healthy colonies getting either 

 at the honey or comb from the foul-brood hives." 



Burning or burying all diseased colonies is not deemed necessary to 

 control the disease. Dilute solutions of salicylic acid and of carbolic 

 acid have been successfully used. " If the bees are simply run into 

 clean, untainted hives, either upon foundation or empty frames, they 

 escape the disease and are cured." 



There is also a brief account of a '' nameless bee disease," which at- 

 tacks mature bees, causing them to " look black because of loss of hair, 

 much as do robber bees or old bees in spring, and to frequeutly make 

 strange motions in front of the hives, as though dancing or in convul- 

 sions. This disease is also supposed to be due to a fungus {Bacillus gay- 

 to«i.^), and apparently moculation comes through the queen, for the 

 malady disappears when a healthy queen is substituted for a diseased 

 one. "It is also reported" that if the diseased bees have access to an 

 " abundance of salt water placed near the hives" they will be cured. 



Michigan Station, Bulletin No. 62, May, 1890 (pp. 8). 



The English sparrow, C. B. Cook, B. S. (illustrated).— Tbis con- 

 tains brief accounts of the injuries inflicted by the English sparrow 

 {Passer domesticiis), descriptions of this bird and of species of birds 

 which are liable to be mistaken for the sparrow, and suggestions as to 

 means for the repression of this pest. In Michigan a bounty of 3 cents 

 is paid for each sparrow's head delivered to a town clerk, but as many 

 of these officials are not able to distinguish a sparrow's head from that 

 of a linnet or thrush or other valuable bird, the law seems to have pro- 

 moted an indiscriminate slaughter of useful birds. "It is hoped that 

 the descriptions and illustrations of this bulletin will enable any town 

 clerk to identify the birds." Should any clerk still be in doubt, he is 

 invited to send the birds to the station for identification. 



