APICULTURE. 327 



Is it not better to make a success in wintering- than to get a few 

 more pounds per colony and lose them in the winter? In the latter 

 we have a precarious pursuit, that in the end is a loss to the bee- 

 keeping fraternity. For I am of the opinion that bee-keeping is yet 

 in its infancy; I believe that not one pound in ten of honey is gath- 

 ered that could be if the pursuit could be made popular by success 

 in wintering. If it covild be made popular like dairying, more would 

 eat honey, and that would create a demand that in time would make 

 honey a staple article. 



But I have digressed from my subject, and I have done so to 

 apologize for what you may think are my short comings. 



For a person with a few colonies that have the dysenterj^ it is an 

 easy matter to cure them, by having a loose bottom board to the 

 hive. Remove the bottom board and heat it hot over the stove. If 

 the hive is in good winter quarters, once or twice heating- of the bot- 

 tom board will effect a cure. 



When a colony is diseased when set out in the spring, I remove all 

 of the sour pollen and open honey, and replace it with untainted 

 honey, and feed syrup from sugar and rye flour, if pollen cannot be 

 gathered. 



Hoping that the time will soon come when by proper experiments 

 and observations we shall arrive at a definite conclusion as to the 

 causes and cure of this disease, I will only say that all I might say 

 will not prove anything definite. We should have an experiment 

 station, and such subjects should be decided without a doubt, dis- 

 cussion on this subject will not amount to much unless some ex- 

 periments are made with a desire to prove the truth. 



An animated discussion followed the reading of this very inter- 

 esting essay, and all the members present took a hand in solving 

 the great problem. 



The winter of 1892-3 seemed to have been a very disastrous winter 

 for many apiaries in Minnesota, and dysenterj' seemed to have been 

 the prevailing disease. It was generally admitted that Mr. Taylor 

 was, as a rule, correct when he said "warmth, dryness and whole- 

 some food will prevent dysentery," although cases were related 

 where the conditions exactly reversed seemed to exist, and yet the 

 bees wintered all right — but I presume the food was "wholesome". 

 As a general rule, in Minnesota the season of 1892 was a poor one, 

 and the fall crop of honej^ was short and poor, or at least the honey 

 was considered poor — so many colonies died from dysentery with 

 all the other conditions apparently the same w^here the bees had 

 wintered successfully winter after winter. In many cases the col- 

 onies were light and but few young bees. Mr. Urie said that his 

 bees were strong and had plenty of honey and apparentlj^ the 

 quality was good, but his bees showed signs of dysentery before 

 they were put into the cellar, and he lost nearly all where he had 

 wintered very successfully before. As to what extent pollen affects 

 the bees by their not having enough, too much or not any or that 

 which is poor, no one present could tell from actual knowledge de- 

 rived from experiments, but there seemed to be a general admission 



