76 HISTOEICAL NOTES ON BEE DISEASES. 



Burri observed to be difficult of cultivation. As this species was not 

 obtained in pure culture, no inoculation experiments were made with 

 it. By feeding foul-brood material to ten colonies, however. Erne 

 proved that the disease with which he was working was infectious, 

 since in every case typical foul brood was produced which contained 

 the same bacillus previously'' observed. 



To make clear his position. Erne summarizes as follows: 



1. Burri has not furnished proof that sour brood is a contagious disease and that the 

 bacterium described by him is the cause of the same. 



2. It is not proven that there is more than one foul brood germ. 



3. I consider as the cause of the epidemic foul brood causing the greatest destruction 

 at the present time, a bacillus which I have found in all of my investigations, which 

 can not be cultivated on the usual media, and which may perhaps be identical with the 

 bacillus that Burri found to be difficult of cultivation. 



In Erne's paper the following interesting facts are noted: 



1. He was working probably only with American foul brood. 



2. Erne took exception to the methods used by Burri in the attempt 

 to obtain pure cultures of the bacUlus which was found difficult of 

 cultivation. 



3. He emphasizes the importance of the experimental inoculations 

 ^f healthy colonies in the demonstration of the cause of a disease of 



bees. 



4. He did not find Bacillus alvei in 64 samples of foul brood exam- 

 ined from Germany. 



5. He obtained negative results when healthy bees were fed pure 

 cultures of Bacillus alvei. 



6. He questioned an etiological relation between Bacillus alvei and 

 "foul brood." 



7. He demonstrated the infectiousness of foul-brood material by 

 the production of "foul brood" in healthy colonies. 



8. He met with a species of bacterium in foul brood which was 

 difficult to cultivate on artificial media. 



9. He considered this germ to be the cause of foul brood, although 

 the fact was not demonstrated. 



10. Erne did not in his study of "foul-brood" material meet with 

 a microorganism corresponding to SpirocJisete apis. 



While Erne does not devote much time to bee-disease investiga- 

 tions, his writings show that considerable care is exercised in his work. 

 The bee keepers, therefore, will be profited by reading any papers 

 written by this author. 



White, November 6, 1906. 



In 1906 the manuscript mentioned on page 67 was pubhshed as a 

 bulletin.* In the preface the reason for the selection of the names 



' White, G. F., Ph. D. November 6, 1906. The bacteria of the apiary, with special reference to bee 

 diseases. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology, Teclinical Series, No. 14. Pp. 50- 



