25(» .loURXAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF A(;RICULTURE. 



suggested that each bee-keeper in a region M'here European foul- 

 brood exists ask himself whether his colonies are actually in as 

 good condition at tlie opening of the year as he has supposed, 

 and that he find out how strong the colonies may be made by 

 providing the best of conditions for the development of the colony 

 population. A bee-keeper whose colonies do not measure up to 

 this standard should not condemn the standard until he assures 

 himself that it is entirely impossible, under his condition?, 1o 

 reach it. 



Obviously the proper Avintering of bees becomes a matter of 

 tlie liighest importance in regions where European foul-brood is 

 found. Those who fail to practice good wintering are the ones 

 who first lose so many colonies that they become discouraged 

 and give up bee-keeping, wliile those whose wintering has been 

 better are able to treat the disease, although their standard of 

 colony strength may not be high enough entirely to ward it off. 



(jrood bee-keeping, in so far as handling the bees is concerned, 

 consists of providing conditions in the fall so that the colony is 

 full of young, vigorous bees for winter ; of providing conditions 

 of ])rotection and good stores, such that the bees are not depleted 

 in numbers and vitality during the winter by excessive heat- 

 productioii ; of piovidiiig jjlenty of stores, adequate room for 

 breeding, and abundant protection during the i)eriod of heavy 

 l)rood-rearing in the sjjring ; and of prevejitiiig* reduction in the 

 strength of the colony by swarming. All of these things, and 

 there are no others of importance, pertain to keeping colonies 

 strong. The bee-keeper who ])rovidcs conditions such that the 

 bees can keep up their strength will not only reap the honey-croi) 

 but he will escape the lavages of Euiopean foul-brood. 



To a large degree the failure of American bee-keepers to get 

 their, colonies strong enough is due to the use of small hives that 

 are insufficiently jirotected during the winter and spring. The 

 single-Avalled hive was first made as a means of reducing the cost. 

 Such a hive is a good tool for a bee-keeper, but it is a poor home 

 for the bees. When the 10-frame hive was found too large to be 

 filled with bees in time tor them to go into the supers as soon as 

 the honey-flow opened, instead of protecting the hive the use of 

 the 8-frame hive was commonly adopted. This hive is in rather 

 general use throughout the United States, althoug'h fortunately 

 it is now being replaced by tlie lO-frame hive in many localities. 

 In order that the bee-keeper may reduce his labour, it would be 

 well to raise the standard of colony strength bv providinc better 

 ])rotection and more looni for the bees. This will to a large 

 degree eliminate the spring manipulations so often practised, 

 will get better crops, and wW] make European foul-brood a ininor 

 trouble of the apiary. 



When strong colonies, headed by vigoious queens, of 

 resistant stock are present European foul-brood will usually make 

 little, if any, headway, yet from time to time there may appear 

 cases which require treatment. The shaking treatment used for 

 American foul-l>rood is often advocated for European foul-brood, 

 and is recommended by many inspectors of apiaries. It was 

 recommended in previous publications of this Department, but 



