REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 583 



KEPORT ON EXPERIMENTS IN APICULTURE. 



By N. W. McLain, Aplcultural Agent. 



letter of transmittal. 



United States Apicultural Station, 



Aurora, III, December 31, 1886. 

 Dear Sir: I have the honor to submit herewith my report of the work done 

 under your instructions at this experiment station during tiie past year. 



I desire to acknowledge my obligations to yourself for the valuable suggestions 

 and assistance given me, manifestmg the deep interest you have in advancing and 

 developing tlie industiy of bee-keeping. 



I wish also to express my thanks to those engaged in the branch of husbandry in 

 whose interest this experiment station Avas established for the very kind and unani- 

 mous expr<:>ssion3 of appreciation and encouragement, some of whom have cheer- 

 fully aided me in my work; and especially to the pubUshers of the following api- 

 cultural and agricultural journals for the favor shown me in publisliing my report 

 and for files of their valual)le papers, namely: 



The x\mcrican Bee Journal, Messrs. Thomas G. Newman & Son, Chicago, 111.; 

 Gleanings 171 Bee Culture, Mr. A. I. Root, Medina, Ohio; The American Ajjicultunst, 

 Mr. Henry AUej^, Wenham, Mass.; The Bee-Keeper'' s Magazine, Messrs. Aspinwall 

 & Ti-eadwell, Barrytown-on-Hudson, N. Y.; The Bee-Keeper's Guide, Mr. A. G. 

 Hill, Kendaliville, Ind.; The Canadian Bee Journal, Messrs. Jones, Macpherson & 

 Co. , Beeton, Ontario, Canada; Rays of Light, North Manchester, Ind. ; The Southern 

 Cultivator, Atlanta, Ga. : and The Cultivator and Country Gentleman, Messrs. 

 Luther Tucker & Son, Albany, N. Y. 

 Yours, very tmly, 



N. W, McLAIN, 

 Agent in Charge. 

 Dr. C. V. Riley, 



Entomologist. 



THE "quaking disease." 



WHaen bees are unable to obtain from ordmary sources a supply of saline and 

 alkaline ahment, indispensable to their health and vigor and to the nor)iial perform- 

 ance of their fimctions, they seek a supply from any available source. At such 

 times they throng upon the MUkweed and Mullein, wliich exude a salty sap. At 

 such times large munbers of dead bees may be found at the foot of the mullein 

 stalks, and thousands perish in the fields, and thousands more which reach tlieir 

 hives, being low in -sntality and unable to free themselves from the meshes of the 

 sUken fiber in which legs and wings are bound, die in the liive or crawl forth to 

 perish. The actions of these starved and weakened bees when attempting to rise 

 and fly or to rid themselves from the mesh of silky web causes a peculiar nervous 

 motion, and this is one manifestation of that which is called the "quaking disease," 

 or the "nameless disease." If examined with a microscope, many are found en- 

 tangled with the filaments from the plants, and their stomachs are enthely empty. 



Tlie honey from hives containing colonies so afl:ected has a peculiar and very dis- 

 agreeable taste and odor, somewhat like that of fermented honey, mdicating that 

 some constituent essential in conserving it was lacking, and the cell-caps are dark, 

 smooth, and gi-easy in appearance, and an offensive odor is emitted from the hive. 

 Ai\ analysis of honey taken from such colonies, made by the Chemist of the Depart- 

 ment, fails to reveal what element is lacking. 



I have treated a niunber of apiaries so affected, using an appUcation of sti-ong brine, 

 to which was added soda sufficient to make the alkahne taste faintly discernible. 

 The hive shoidd be opened, and each frame should be thoroughly dampened with 

 spray from an atomizer, or the warm brine may be apphed by usmg a sprinkler 

 with very small holes in the rose, care being taken to use only enough to thoroughly 

 dampen the bees and combs. The alightmg-boards also should be thoroughly wet. 

 The treatment should be applied morning and evening until the disorder disappears, 

 wliich is usiially in three or four days; a decided improvement bemg usually notice- 

 able in twenty-four hours. The honey should be extracted and diluted by adding 

 the brine, and, after being nearly heated to the boiling-point for ten minutes, may 

 be safely fed to bees. The apiaries were last whiter supplied with this food alone. 

 Both wintered well. Vessels containing brine should always be kept in or neai' the 



