138 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 15 



The success of introducing queen into nuclei and the success of 

 introducing nuclei into colonies is an efficient method of overcoming 

 what is the present uncertain production in queens. From the evidence 

 given in the table it must be concluded that the beekeeper is supplied 

 with queens of very indifferent production ability. The ultimate cost 

 of getting a high producing queen in every colony is entirely too great. 

 When a queen is purchased there is little assurance that she will prove 

 of much value for honey production. She may have to be replaced 

 and in turn the second and third replacements may prove unsatisfactory. 

 The record of performance of the parents must be considered carefully 

 before much performance can be expected of offspring. 



FACTORS AFFECTING THE SUCCESS OF AMERICAN FOUL- 

 BROOD CAMPAIGNS 



By S. B. Fracker, Madison, Wisconsin 



It is a truism, that the control of each distinct infectious disease 

 constitutes a separate problem. The factors on which solution depends 

 are many, including the means of distribution of the causative agent, 

 immunity, education and civilization of the persons affected, and the 

 relation of the disease to commerce and industry. 



In the case of every disease, scientific effort is directed first toward 

 the discovery of a cure for the individual victim; second, to the means 

 of protecting other individuals from attack. Measures to prevent 

 widespread epidemics develop last, and often require an elaborate study 

 of the many factors in the situation before success is attained. 



Methods of "curing" the individual colony of bees suffering from some 

 form of brood disease were worked out more than a generation ago 

 when it was found that taking the infected material away from the 

 bees constituted a successful treatment. Developments during the 

 past ten years in the control of European foulbrood constitute at once 

 an improvement in method and a confession of failure. The discovery 

 of varietal resistance and the ability of a strong colony to carry on 

 its own public health activities relieves the beekeeper of serious worry 

 about this disease, although the adoption of control measures on this 

 basis is an admission of his inability to prevent its continued distribu- 

 tion. 



American foulbrood, on the other hand, wherever established, prompt- 

 ly develops a "vicious circle" which perpetuates infection, resulting in 

 some places in the destruction of the apiary industry. In the absence 



