516 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. DoG. 



arrested. The practical utility of this method remains yet to be 

 worked out I'ully, although those who have tried the system claim 

 it to be a success. 



The greatest progress that Apiculture has made in this State dur- 

 ing the last year, and perhaps that has ever been made, is the pass- 

 age of a Foul Brood law by the last session of the Legislature. The 

 bill was drawn up by the State Bee-Keepers Association, endorsed 

 by this body and the Horticultural Association before it was pre- 

 sented. Through the efforts of these various bodies and the earnest 

 efforts of bee-keepers and their friends, the bill passed almost with- 

 out any opposition, while similar bills in former sessions were ridi- 

 culed and hopelessly defeated. The bill provides for State Inspection 

 of all apiaries in the State under the direction of the Secretary of 

 Agriculture. Where the disease is found, directions are given for 

 treatment of colonies infected. Where bees are kept in old-fashioned 

 box-hives the owner may be required to transfer them into movable 

 frame hives. It also provides for the destruction of hives and colonies 

 where necessary and prohibits the sale of infected combs, bees or 

 hive material. The unfortunate part of it all is, thr.t the appropria- 

 tion far carrying out its provisions was lopped off by the Legislature, 

 thus preventing its being carried out effectively for the present. 



During the year other states have been active in securing legisla- 

 tion. Similiar laws were passed in Kansas, New Jersey, Vermont, 

 Tennessee, Minnesota and Illinois, and in British Columbia, for 

 Canada, while progress has been made in other states that have not 

 yet passed any laws of inspection. There are now 33 states that have 

 laws in some form for the inspection of apiaries. 



While argument is sometimes brought That the territory would 

 be too large to be covered by inspectors and a law would be ineffec- 

 tive, the fact is true that in states where laws have been in opera- 

 tion for a number of years the disease has been practically brought 

 under control. Pennsylvania bee-keepers, who have suffered so much 

 from the disease, are so eager to make a fight against it that during 

 the convention of the State Bee-Keepers' Association, held at Lan- 

 caster recently, a number of members qualified themselves by taking 

 an examination, conducted by Dr. Surface the State Entomologist, 

 and volunteered to inspect apiaries. As there are no provisions 

 made for their payment of services, they expect to do it gratis. 



The Bureau of .Entomology of the Department of Agriculture at 

 Washington is planning to do greater work for apicultural interests. 

 Dr. Phillips and his corps of assistants are doing splendid work in 

 combating diseases. A number of bulletins on bees have been pub- 

 lished for distribution and may be had by writing for them to the 

 Department of Agriculture. One of these is Bulletin No. 397, ''Bees," 

 an instructive work on keeping bees ; another is Bulletin No. 442, 

 "The Treatment of Bee Diseases." This should be in the hands of 

 every bee-keeper. It describes the indications and symptoms of the 

 various diseases, how they are spread and how to treat them. The 

 treatise is by Dr. Phillips and is the most up-to-date and reliable of 

 any thing that was ever published. 



As a further means of distributing information, Secretary Wilson, 

 after a consultation with a committee of bee-keepers, has consented 

 to authorize the publication of several additional bulletins: one on 



