188-5 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



cm 



SEEMINGLY ANOTHER PHASE OF THE 

 DISEASE FOUL BROOD. 



HOW TO d'RE BV THK I N TUO iHI I I( )N OK A NEW 

 QUEEN. 



WIU)TE yoii over two jears a^o (soo Gi.ean- 

 iNn9,pag-e 356, 1883), in regard toa brood disease 

 that was prevailing in this vicinity; and as I 

 have received inquiries lately in regard to 

 whether I have found any remedy lor it, I shall 

 be pleased if you will allow me to reply in Glean- 

 ings, hoping thereby to benefit others as well as 

 those who have inquired. The following is a 

 copy of a card that I received a few days ago: 



I noticed your article in May No. of Gi.EANiNfi.s, 

 1883, on foui brood. I have found it in my apiai-y, 

 the same kind that you speak of; others have it in 

 this vicinity. Have you found any remedy? If so, 

 you will much oblige by writing to me. 



S. H. Wktmohe. 

 Wellsboro, Tioga Co., Pa., Aug. 28, 1885. 

 Since the publication of the above - mentioned 

 article I have given the matter a good deal of at- 

 tention, and on some points of the trouble have ar- 

 rived at the following conclusions: 



1. That the disease is not contagious by contact. 

 or by introduction of bees, honey, ooinb, brood, etc., 

 from an atfected colony into a healthy one. 



2. That the infection is transmitted by the ferti- 

 lization oi' the queen by a drone from a diseased 

 hive. Although I am not positive the infection is 

 conveyed in the manner mentioned, I have what I 

 think very strong evidence in that direction. lUit 

 allowing the foregoing to be correct, I am not yet 

 able to say why so large a proportion should bf af 

 fected. I now understand its management so well 

 that it no longer has any terrors for me. I have 

 cured every case that has occurred among my bees 

 in the last two years. All that I have found neces- 

 sary is to remove the diseased (jnecn and introduce 

 one that is healthy and fertile, with sufBcient 

 amount of fresh bees to clean up the premises. I 

 have generally succeeded in the following way: 



Remove the diseased (jueen, and allow the hive to 

 stand eight days, then open and cut out all queen- 

 cells started, and introduce a frameof honey, brood, 

 and adhering bees, from a healthy colony from 

 which to raise a queen. Cases managed in the ways 

 mentioned have mostly banished every trace of the 

 disease in about two months. It seems to be impor- 

 tant to supply the diseased colony with a fresh force 

 of workers to do the house-cleaning. In one case 

 where I introduced a queen and the few attendant 

 workers received by mail, it took nearly two years 

 to overcome the trouble, and required considerable 

 feeding to keep them from starving, till they got 

 well. But they eventually got through all right. 



Last season I thought the Italians were not sub- 

 ject to the trouble; but this summer 1 have found 

 two colonies, apparently pure Italians, among my 

 75 that have received the "offensive taint." 



I am glad that I am al)le to assure bee-keci)ers 

 that there is no danger of spreading the infection 

 by contact with the diseased matter, as I have fre- 

 quently taken frames from diseased colonies and 

 put them into healthj- ones, without transmitting it. 

 I have owned and kept bees continually for 38 

 years, and have used the Langstrofh frame since 

 1858. As we have no basswood, and but little buck- 

 wheat or fall liowei'S, I have never been able to get 

 very large yields of honey. Nearly all our surplus 

 is from the white clover; and as it was nearly all 



winter-killed we have got only about lOCO lbs. of 

 dark stuff from the poplar and other timber-trees. 

 I think it is about four years since I first noticed 

 the disease among my bees, but I am pretty well 

 satisfied now that they had it for more than twenty, 

 as I never extracted, and seldom opened the hives, 

 as they did not yield me much pi-oflt. I will add, 

 that the disease doesn't seem as virulent among 

 the Italians as among the common blacks. I think 

 very likely it is mistaken by some for true foul 

 brood. It seems to be a venereal disease of the 

 honey-bee; but call it what we may, it has done im- 

 mense injury to the bee-business over a large scope 

 of country. Mii.ton Hewitt. 



Perryopolis, Pa. 



P^iiend IL, the information you furnish is 

 ([uite important ; and since yo'u mention it. 

 I am inclined to think the greater part of 

 tlie diseases that affect bees can be cured or 

 prevented by the introduction of a new- 

 queen, in the way you allude to ; for intro- 

 ducing a new queen is virtually making the 

 old colony a new cohniy. If we could cure a 

 sick horse by putting another one in his place, 

 without very much expense, what a wonder- 

 ful tiling itwould bel and with bees we can 

 do this with comparatively little or no loss. 

 The nameless bee-disease that has been so 

 much talked about. 1 am quite certain would 

 yield to just such treatment. In fact, this 

 plan must cure any disease, not a contagious 

 disease, for it is virtually removing every 

 thing but the combs and contents. 



MRS. CHADDOCK ON TH] 

 BUSINESS. 



SORGHUM 



Tr;TO, Ido not mean that people must not carry on 

 JYJ business, or neglect business in order that 

 Ml they shall not worry. I like to work, to buy 

 ■*■ T and sell, to make bargains, and to live up to 

 them. I am very suie that if I had been a 

 man I shoulil have been a merchant, or "a big cat- 

 tle-man." I like the excitement of trade, the hurry 

 and the bustle; but I am not going to worry. Every 

 year we raise sorghum, Mr. Chaddock does not 

 think it pays to raise sorghum ; he says it Is cheaper 

 to buy it. I k)iow that it docs pay to raise it. So ive 

 children raise it, strip oft' the blades, cut off' the tope, 

 cut it down, load it into the wagon, drive to Aunt 

 Jane's, and unload it there. We like to do it. Two 

 of us go with the load, and two stay at home and 

 cut up another load. Every year Aunt .lane told ua 

 we could either pay 25 cents a gallon for having it 

 made up, or else give her half the molasses; and as 

 we never have any money we always gave half. 

 This year we did not mak«! any bargain, supposing 

 that we could have our choice as usual; and when 

 we had half the crop hauled she told us that we 

 would have to pay the money, she was not going to 

 take any molasses this year. 



As soon as the children told us, Mr. Chaddock 

 said, " Vou will have to buy another barrel now;' 

 and he said it in the tone that means, " I told you 

 so." 



Well, I went right down to see Aunt Jane, and she 

 said, jes, she wanted the money, and she wanted it 

 " right away." She advised me to go to town, buy 

 an e.xtra barrel, engage the molasses at some store. 



