ENTOMOLOGY. 459 



Report of the apiculturist, K. F. Holtermann (Ontario Ayr. Col. 

 and Expt. Farm Rpt. 1896, pp. 221-228, figs. i). — A record is given of 

 experiments with fonl brood, wintering (both inside and out), the pro- 

 duction of comb honey, moving for fall pasture, and feeding bees. 



In the foul-brood experiments an endeavor was made to determine 

 whether disease may be transmitted through the wax. Good samples 

 of wax were thoroughly infected with the germs of foul brood. The 

 wax was then broken into small pieces to facilitate melting, and before 

 all the pieces had melted it was formed into sheets and milled. The 

 foundation thus made was placed in frames and a swarm put upon it. 

 Nearly 2 months later an examination was made for foul brood, but no 

 trace of the disease was found. 



The wintering experiments were a repetition of those made in 1895. 

 A portion of the number of colonies employed were packed with 672 

 thicknesses of manila paper, 10 thicknesses of newspaper, a quilt, and 

 plain shavings, in addition to side packing. The remainder of the 

 colonies were simply packed above with a quilt and plain shavings. The 

 object was to determine the difference between absorbents and upward 

 ventilation and in the prevention of the escape of heat and moisture by 

 other means than the entrance, which was 5 in. wide. To facilitate 

 the movement of the bees from one comb to another a hole was cut iu 

 the center of the combs. In previous experiments this was not done. 

 As a result, it was found that hives packed with paper had a very 

 slight advantage over those not so packed, and that the hives in which 

 holes had been made iu the comb to facilitate the movements of the 

 bees wintered better than those not so treated. 



In .lie experiments in the production of comb honey, an endeavor 

 was made to learn how straight comb, unstained by travel, may be 

 produced. Supers, with bee spaces over the sections, were employed 

 between the last sections and the wood sides of the supers. Besides 

 the usual 1 bee space, 2 or more bee spaces were made in some 

 instances. These were secured by the use of either perforated or 

 slatted dividers. As a result, it was found that pop holes were less 

 numerous where the space was left over the sections, and that where 2 

 bee spaces were employed the results were the best. Of the dividers 

 employed, the perforated variety gave the best results. Where the 

 slatted divider was used the comb was given a ribbed appearance, 

 much like the common washboard. In explaining the difference found 

 between the use of 1 and 2 bee spaces, the author suggests that the 2 

 bee spaces permit of an extra layer of bees on the outside, which keeps 

 up day and night the normal heat necessary to comb building and 

 capping. 



The experiments in outside wintering extended over a period of sev- 

 eral years. It was found that when the brood chamber is divided into 

 2 parts and the upper portion of the frames separated from the lower 

 by a bee space which allows the cluster, which is globular in form, to 

 10078— No. 5 5 



