\)e (F)ee 



eps 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL 



Devoted to the Interests of Honey Producers. 

 $L00 A YEAR. 

 W. Z. HUTCHINSON. Editor and ProDrleioi 



VOL. XVI. FLINT, MICHIGAN, MAY 10, 1903. NO. 5. 



ESTROYING FOUL BROOD 



GERMS WITH FORMALIN 



GAS. BY C. A. HUFF. 



In January. T.ti>2, the American Bee 

 .lonrnal pul dished, in a convention re- 

 port, a description of a nietliod employ- 

 ed by Professor F. C. Harrison, of 

 the Ontario Agricnltnral College, in 

 destroying the germs of fonl brood by 

 fumigating the combs with formalin 

 gas. (See Extracted Department— Kd.i 

 Upon reading this, and having some 

 corresi)ondence with Professor Harri- 

 son. I decided to give the matter a 

 test in a small way. I rigged up a 

 hn-ge tin can something as follows: 

 The can was about IT inches in diame- 

 ter, and 27 inches deep, and I made 

 a cover l)y pasting together several 

 thicknesses of heavy paper, and ty- 

 ing it over the top of the can while the 

 paper was still damp. There was i 

 little wax adhering to the toji of the 

 can. and, liy means of a hot iron run 

 over the paper. I melted the wax and 

 pressed the paper down over it. Before 

 putting on the cover I put in a comb 

 contan)ing scales of foul brood, and 

 when the cover was dry I proceedeo 

 If turn in the gas. For generating th- 

 ifas, J used an ordinary gallon oil caa 



made of galvanized iron. In order 

 that 1 might at all times know how 

 full Hiv can was of the formalin, or 

 lormaldehyde, I rigged up a jjass 

 Liiage at the side the same as is used 

 on steam boilers to shov.' how inucn 

 ^\'ater the boilei' contains. At the 

 hardware I purchased such a glass 

 tiili(>. and cut it in lwo, using only one 

 half of it, as it was too long if the 

 whole tube was used. Near tl;e bot- 

 tom of the can I punctured a hole and 

 soldered on a tube of galvanized iron 

 On the top of the tube I soldered on a 

 little rim of galvanized iron perhaps 

 1/4 inch larger tlian tlie diameter of 

 the glass tiibe. Near the top of the 

 can I made another puncture and put 

 in a tube with a rim soldered on, but, 

 in this case, the rim was turned down. 

 One end of the glass tub? was insert- 

 ed into the lower rim and tlie other 

 '"nd ini',' the iipper rim, .ii-d moistened 

 plaster of Paris put in around the 

 ends of the tube. As soon as the 

 plaster had set, there was a water- 

 tight .joint all around. When t':e for- 

 maldehyde is poured into the can this 

 glass tube will allow y^n to sec how 

 much you have poured in, and Avill al- 

 so show wlien it has nearly all become 

 vaporized. A leather washer screwed 



