632 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 Oct., 1916. 



Experiments made by Dr. F. G. White, of the United States De- 

 partment of Agriculture, and published in Bulletin No. 92, showed 

 that the jSTosema germ did not survive a temperature of 57 °C. 

 (134.6°F.) continued for ten minutes. 



This degree of temperature is easily exceeded out in the sun during 

 our summer months, so that where hives are out in the open on ground 

 kept bare and free of herbage and litter, sunlight perhaps destroys 

 most of the spores in the surroundings of a Nosema-infected apiary. 



A glance at the summary of microscopical examinations shows that 

 even badly-affected colonies may completely recover under favorable 

 conditions, but that one colony retained the parasite throughout, and 

 may be considered a disease carrier. 



It is probably such colonies which neither die out with the disease 

 nor ever get rid of the infection, even under the most favorable con- 

 ditions, which carry the parasite over a series of normal seasons, and 

 act as nuclei of the epidemic after dearth of pollen in drought seasons 

 has lessened the vitality and resistance of bees. 



The table of control hives (B) shows that badly-affected colonies 

 may recover without any assistance, provided sufficient bees survive 

 till better conditions of food and temperature prevail. 



To reduce as much as possible the chance and degree of infection, 

 and thereby lessen the severity of epidemics, I would strongly advise 

 beekeepers — 



1. ISTot to locate hives in shady situations. 



2. To keep the ground around the hives bare and clean. 



3. To keep water from penetrating the hives during winter. 



4. To re-queen all colonies which, from no visible cause, lag behind 



the average, and are therefore possibly disease carriers. 



5. To use for re-queening only queens from stocks which, by their 



yields of honey due to the longevity of the workers, have 

 proved their resistance to disease. 



ARTIFICIAL FERTILISERS. 



An impression of the enormous quantities of artificial fertilisers 

 employed in the world before the outbreak of war is shown in figures 

 published in England. The figures cannot be more than approximate, 

 but they serve to show how dependent agriculture has become upon the 

 fertiliser industry. 1. Phosphate of lime — The total production is 

 estimated at about 10,000,000 tons, of which 8,000,000 may be attributed 

 to superphosphate, and 2,000,000 to basic slag. This does not include 

 the large quantities contained in guano, bones, &c. 2. Potash salts — The 

 Stassfurt mines delivered potash salts in different forms equal to about 

 500,000 tons of pure potash. 3. Mtrate of soda — The shipments of 

 this commodity from Chili amounts to about 2,000,000 tons a year, of 

 which it is roughly estimated that three-fourths are for agricultural and 

 one-fourth for chemical industries. 4. Sulphate of ammonia — The 

 total production approaches 1,000,000 tons a year, which is employed 

 for agricultural purposes. — Canterbury Times. 



