9 Dec, 1907.] Foul Brood of Bees. 735 



some expense and a certain amount of trouble in the wa\- of detail to 

 stock -owners when they themselves desire to use the roads. 



To discuss amendment of the present legislation before \ ou have decided 

 the important question whether the dealer is to go or to stay is waste of 

 time. This much is certain — }Ou cannot have both the unrestricted but 

 legitimate use of the roads and at the same time the convenient dealer. 

 The two things cannot co-exist. You cannot keep grass and rabbits in 

 the same paddock. Therefore decide the main question and urge the 

 Executive to take action accordingly. 



FOUL BROOD OF BEES. 



R. Beuhne, President, Victorian Apiarists^ Association. 



{Continued from -page 666.) 



3. Chemical treatment has been abandoned by most of those who have 

 practised it as unreliable and involving too much labour. It consists in 

 either feeding medicated syrup, fumigating, or leaving some chemical in 

 the hive to evaporate. Medicated syrup is made by adding i part of 

 carbolic acid to 600 parts of syrup, made of sugar dissolved in an equal 

 weight of water. The acid should be dissolved in the water before the 

 sugar is added. When salicylic acid is used instead of carbolic, i part 

 of the acid is first dissolved in 8 parts of alcohol. This is the stock 

 solution, of which 100 to 120 drops are added to each pint of syrup, and 

 well stirred in before the syrup cools. Formic acid (pure), i part, is dis- 

 solved in 10 parts of water ajid a teaspoonful added to a quart of syrup. 



Before feeding medicated syrup any combs not containing brood are 

 best reuroved from the hive, placing empty combs next to the brood 

 into which the bees may store the syrup. Besides the amount of labour 

 there are several other drawbacks to feeding medicated syrup. If honey is 

 coming in freely, the bees may refuse to take the syrup, and during a dearth 

 continuous feeding may attract robber bees from other hives which will 

 demoralise the infected colony and perhaps carry disease germs back to 

 their own hive with them. A cure by feeding can only be expected when 

 the outbreak of disease has not long taken place. A colony which has had 

 foul brood for some time is sure to have disease e:erms in its stores of 

 honey and pollen, perhaps sealed up, and a fresh outbreak may occur any 

 time when these reser\'ed stores are being consumed for brood rearing. 

 Giving medicated food is therefoire in most instances onlv a temporary 

 remedy. 



Fumigating a hive is very effective in destroying germs wherever they 

 can be reached by the fumes, but in this instance also the spores in sealed 

 honey and pollen escape destruction. Salicylic acid is the most convenient 

 chemical for this purpose. The hive operated on is set on a framed wire 

 screen to prevent the escape of bees, and small quantities of salicylic acid 

 on a piece of tin placed under the screen are evaporated by means of a 

 small spirit lamp which should be regulated so that the acid is slowly 

 melted and evaporated, not burned, which would destroy its efficacy. 



Of the substances placed in the hive to act as a preventative against 

 an outbreak of disease, naphthaline and carbolic acid and tar may be 

 mentioned. A piece of naphthaline, the size of a large pea, is placed in 



