September 9, 1869. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICtJLTtJBE AND COTTAGE GABDBNER. 



217 



still taking a deep interest in Rabbits, I can add some remarks 

 without being thought an interested party. The whole fault 

 can be summed up in a few words — gentlemen who know 

 nothing about Rabbits, and do not understand them, under- 

 take the duties of Rabbit judges. Some of these judges, too, 

 have an idea that, as compared to the poultry and Pigeons, the 

 Rabbits are worthless, and treat them accordingly. Now, if 

 they would take the trouble to inquire they would find that the 

 Rabbit-fanciers are at as great an expense as exhibitors of 

 poultry and Pigeons, and if committees will not be at the 

 expense to provide a competent person as judge, they ought 

 not to offer prizes, I have repeatedly heard committeemen and 

 jadges say, that the Rabbit men are the most discontented and 

 dissatisfied of all exhibitors. TVhy, I ask, have they this 

 character? If the services of a man who could judge the 

 Babbits aright were secured, it would soon be found that the 

 Rabbit-finciers were as contented a lot of men as other ex- 

 hibitors. 



It would be a good plan for Rabbit exhibitors to name a 

 person they know to be a good practical Rabbit judge, so that 

 committees may know who are the men who would be accept- 

 able to the fancy. — M. Mlllingion, York. 



In answer to the latter part of " Himalitan's " letter, I for 

 one see no reason why the Vice-Presidents, Committee, or 

 Stewards of a show should not exhibit what they like, and as 

 many specimens as they think fit. If exhibitors cannot trust 

 the different Show Committees to appoint Judges, who will 

 work fairly and honestly, without awarding the prize or prizes 

 to an exhibitor solely because he is the owner of the field in 

 which the Show is held (which one exhibitor at the Rochdale 

 Show last year stated as a fict), they had much better keep 

 both themselves and their specimens away. And latterly, with 

 regard to the jadgiog of Ribbits which seems to trouble " Hima- 

 layan " so very much, I am at a loss to know what will 

 satisfy exhibitors, when I tell them that at the Rochdale Show 

 this year there were three Judges appointed for Rabbits, to 

 adjudicate inonly three classes ; they had six prizes to distribute 

 nmongst twenty-nine Ribbits, and yet there is grumbling, and 

 that by our leading and oldest exhibitors. — The Winner of all 

 THE Siltee-Gkey Peizes at the Last Rochdale Show. 



FOUL BROOD— ITS PRODUCTION AND CURE. 

 I hate received another letter from Mr. Lambreeht, in which 

 after sundry compliments to myself, he proceeds to combat the 

 conclusions of Dr. Preuss. The line of argument taken by him 

 is identical with the doubts expressed as to the correctness of 

 the mvcological theory in page 372 of the fifteenth volume of 

 "our Journal," by tlmt excellent observer, ''R. S." Mr. Lam- 

 brecht urges that the fungi described by the learned doctor are 

 the effect and not the cause of foul brood, and that instead of 

 origiualing the disease, they are in point of fact produced by it. 

 His letter is accompanied by an article, of which I append a 

 translation. It is scarcely to be expected that five hundred 

 Bubsoribers will be found in Great Britain, but I shall be happy 

 to receive the names of those who may be willing to subscribe, 

 and when we see how many we can muster, will submit the list 

 to Mr. Lambrecht. — T. W. Woodbcrt, Mount Radford, Eieter. 



REPORT OF THE CURE OF VIRULENT FOUL BROOD IN THE EX- 

 rF.EIMENTAL IIIVE AT BRUNSWICK, TOGETHER WITH MINUTES 

 TAKEN ON THE SUBJECT. 



** lie who woiUd extirpate an evil must learn to commence at its root." 

 The apiarian readers of this Journal will probably remember 

 that we had been requested by the Brunswick Apioultural So- 

 ciety to produce f..ul brood in an experimental hive by the ad- 

 ministration of fermented pollen, and then to cure the pes- 

 tilence which had been thus produced. The former having 

 been satiBfHctoiiiy accomplifhed, as proved by the reports pub- 

 lished in The Journal of Horticulture of the 8th of July, 

 we now embrace the opportunity of making public the result of 

 he latter part of our undertaking. 



The experimental hive having been declared foul-broody ac- 

 cording to the report of the 2;ird of May, we in vain expected 

 to be required by the Commission to undertake its cure ; but it 

 was only after the lapse of nearly four weeks, when the stock 

 was declared by the eommissioners to be "rotten-foul," and 

 when one might clearly perceive that it was their intention to 



render the cure altogether impossible, that we were called upon 

 to proceed. But what a sight revealed itself upon removing 

 the crown-board, and what a task ! A handful of disheartened 

 and inactive bees were found scattered over rotten and stinking 

 combs, and upon these we were to exercise our abilities, and 

 prove the efiBciency of our means of cure ! The hive and its 

 contents having been brought into a room with but one window, 

 we again surveyed the disgusting rotten combs, and at once 

 decided upon our mode of action. Had we been called upon to 

 effect a cure three weeks before, it would have required only 

 ordinary means, but in the present wretched condition of the 

 hive we must resort to extraordinary measures in order to be 

 certain of effecting a cure. We therefore took the combs from 

 the infected hive and put them into a reserve hive, sweeping 

 all the remaining bees on to a cloth spread in front of the 

 entrance to the latter. We then threw various doses of powder 

 of our own composition on red hot coals, held the infected hive 

 over it, and let the developed gases act upon it during five 

 minutes. These gases penetrated through the crown-board 

 where it had been cemented by the bees, as well as through the 

 material of which it was made, so that a bystander exclaimed, 

 "Law! what a powerful remedy!" We then took from dif- 

 ferent bottles such fluids as we deemed most appropriate, and 

 with a syringe sprinkled them all over the interior of the hive, 

 into which we put frames with old comb foundations, swept 

 the bees from the foul combs into it by means of a small 

 brush, and finally added to them the clusters of bees which had 

 formed against the window. The whole business occupied but 

 a short time, and ere half an hour had elapsed the bees were 

 returned to, and were in full flight upon, their stand, which in 

 order to prevent infection was placed in a garden half an hour's 

 walk from Brunswick, close to a hedge which bordered an open 

 field. 



On the 15th of Jaly we inspected the cured hive (we live at 

 four hours' walk — i.e., 16 miles — from the place), for the first 

 time, and what did we then see ? The bees were clustering on 

 the alighting-board, drone-combs and worker cells were filled 

 with beautiful sealed brood, whilst on their edges were royal 

 cells just ready for closing. The first swarm would have flown 

 off in a few days. We now inspected all the cells, and were 

 just going to give vent to our joy, when in the last comb we 

 found two cells, the contents of which proved clearly that the 

 pest had not yet entirely disappeared. We therefore at once 

 resorted to a little after-cure, and again took leave of our child 

 of trouble and pains. On the 27ih of July we were at length 

 invited by the Commissioners to view the hive. We went to 

 the spot, and began the inspection, whilst twelve eyes scruti- 

 nised combs and cells, drone-combs and queen-cells, which 

 latter had been excised by Mr. Gravenhorst to prevent swarm- 

 ing, but which had now been renewed in readiness for swarm- 

 ing as before. But we leave it to the report of the Commis- 

 sioners to describe what they saw : — 



" Brnnswick, 27th July, 1869. 

 " This afternoon abont four o'clock, the Examining Commission 

 visited the experimental hive. Each comb waa tnken separately and 

 examined twice over, and in order to do tbia more tlioronghly the bees 

 were swept off and each separate cell examined. We found the stock, to 

 the best of our knowledge, strong and ready for swarming — royal cella 

 about to be sealed over — and the whole colony in such excellent con- 

 dition that we cannot but declare the hive completely and entirely cared 

 of virulent foul brood. 



" (Signed) " C. .1. H. GRAVENHORST, 



"HEINRICH OPl-ERMANN, 

 " H. HEKBST 

 " H. WLEDENWROTH." 



Foul brood, therefore, has no longer its former terrors for 

 bee-keepers. He who is afflicted by it can free himself from 

 it, whilst he who has been spared may stand armed and pre- 

 pared if it should approach him. The means of completely 

 curing foul brood, of keeping it from the apiary, of rendering 

 infected honey again fit for bee-food, of at once freeing the 

 pest from its contagious character, &o., will be published in a 

 pamphlet by subscription. It will be printed in English, and 

 if you find in England five hundred subscribers its price will 

 be four thalers (12s.). Subscriptions are received by Mr. 

 Gravenhorst, Brunswick, for North Germany ; and by Mr. 

 Woodbury, Mount Radford, Exeter. — A. Lambeecht, Bomuvi, 

 near B'orssum, Brunswick. 



We are indebted to an esteemed correspondent for the follow, 

 ing additional particulars of this interesting and important 

 experiment : — 



"Mr. Graverjhorst particularly requested that the means of 

 core should cot be aprlied on the 23rd of May, but be post- 



