February, 1916. 



American Vae Journal 



UNCLE SAM'S BEE DEPART VIENT EMPLOYEES 

 Geo. b. Demuth. Miss Duckett. E. G. Carr. Miss Armstrong. E. F. Phillips, Jas. A. Nelson, 



A. H. McCray 



presence of both diseases was found 

 over wide areas. Tlie Department 

 provided facilities for examination of 

 samples of suspected brood and 

 thousands of samples coming from 

 every State in the Union and even 

 from many foreign countries have been 

 examined. In some of the States, it 

 was with the information thus gained 

 that the beekeepers were able to go 

 before their State Legislatures and 

 show the need of apiary inspection 

 laws and efficient education. 



Dr. G. F. White in the Government 

 laboratories, established the fact 

 that Baeilhis lanae is the cause of 

 American foulbrood and IJaeillus plii- 

 ton the probable cause of European 

 foulbrood. Until recently it was sup- 

 posed that Bacillus alvei is the cause 

 of the former disease. Dr. White has 

 also given us positive information in 



pressed in some quarters as to the 

 accuracy of their work. Unnecessary 

 activity during winter greatly im- 

 pairs the strength of the colony and 

 it is very important so to protect the 

 bees as to avoid the conditions that 

 make such activity necessary. Now 

 that some of the underlying princi- 

 ples are understood, experiments in 

 various methods of making the best 

 practical application of them are be- 

 ing continued. This work is expected 

 to occupy several years yet. 



Few persons know of the extensive 

 work done along this line. About a 

 half million temperature readings 

 have been recorded, at intervals rang- 

 ing from every half minute to every 

 half hour, according to the special 

 problem under investigation. Since 

 readings were continued during the 

 night as well as by day for many 

 weeks at a time, some one had to re- 

 main constantly at hand to make the 

 records. 



The winter losses, taking the coun- 

 try as a whole, probably exceed fifteen 

 percent and this great drain on our 

 resources can be stopped only by 

 better wintering methods. Accurate 



a special bulletin. No. 92, on the tem- 

 perature required to destroy the germs 

 of these diseases. The nature of Sac- 

 brood, formerly known as Pickled- 

 brood, was also worked out by him 

 in this office. 



When the Department undertook the 

 study of the wintering problem in 

 1912, little was known of the real 

 temperature conditions within the hive 

 during the w'inter months. The ex- 

 periments made by Doctor Phillips 

 and Mr. Geo. S. Demuth have upset 

 some of the old notions about winter- 

 ing and have confirmed the best meth- 

 ods to prepare the bees tor winter 

 with a reasonable certainty of results. 

 In the beginning few dreamed of the 

 tremendous activity within the cluster 

 during severe weather and, until their 

 observations had been confirmed by 

 impartial observers, doubt was ex- 





Dr. McCray Examining Diseased Brood 



DR. JAMES A NELSON AT WORK IN HIS LABORATORY 



information concerning the condition 

 of the bees during the cold months is 

 obviously necessary. 



If the stockman knew as little about 

 the animals with which he deals as 

 is known about the honeybee, the 

 scientific care and feeding of animals, 

 now practiced, would be impossible. 

 For example, little is known about 

 the digestive processes of the bee, 

 practically nothing of its excretions 

 and many details of its finer anatomy 

 still are to be worked out. The di- 

 sease or diseases known as constipa- 

 tion, paralysis, May disease, and Isle- 

 of-Wight disease, which may be vari- 

 ations of one disease or varied di- 

 seases of similar aspect need the at- 

 tention of scientists, for we are still 

 in the dark about them and there is 

 not yet a positive method of cure or 

 prevention. Even the things about 

 which we know most are imperfectly 

 understood. In addition to the more 

 practical problems already mentioned, 

 an effort is being made at Washington 



