278 



August, 19iri. 



American ^ae Journal 



American foul brood in 20 apiaries, 

 affecting 45 colonies, all of which 

 were burned. 



We make no i>retence of curing the 

 disease in British Columbia; one di- 

 seased cell condemns the hive to the 

 flames. Now that I am in the fight I 

 endeavor to trace the spread of the 

 contagion as all information is valua- 

 ble. Here is one point I discovered. 

 In one apiary of five colonies I found 

 one affected. The nearest diseased 

 colony, a strong one, was fully two 

 miles away. The affected colony was 

 also very strong, having been a very 

 large first swarm. After some close 

 questioning I found that the hive body 

 had been bou4<?ht from an infected 

 apiary, where it had been in use for 

 a weak swarm just three weeks. The 

 frames were new with full sheets of 

 foundation. Advocates of the "shake" 

 system of cure will kindly take no- 

 tice. As I see it the essence of this 

 plan is a pure gamble. You despoil 

 the bees of all their combs, stores 

 and brood ,and chance that about 99% 

 of the germs are in the plunder; then 

 you hope that the germs on the bees 

 and hive will never get an opportunity 

 to enter the anatomy of a bee baby. 

 We in British Columbia are just as 

 anxious to wind up the career of the 

 hundredth germ as the other ninety 

 and nine. One of our inspectors in 

 one apiiry found that the spores must 

 have lain dormant three years before 

 their opportunity arrived, for the hive, 

 brought from an infected region in 

 Oregon, had been in British Columbia 

 that length of time before foul brood 

 developed. 



Victoria, B. C, Canada, March 11. 



(The "shake" system, when thor- 

 oughly applied, has been so success- 

 ful that we cannot help recommend- 

 ing it, but it is well to disinfect the 

 hives. — Editor.) 



^♦^ 



A Good Bottom Board 



There are 2-inch pieces nailed on the 

 underside of the frame, which hold it 

 together, and they also raise it up from 

 the bottom, so the air comes through 

 from the underside and circulates 

 through the hive when the screen is in. 

 The rim of the screen has two headless 

 lath nails partly driven in on each side 

 which slide in saw kerfs cut into the 

 side pieces for that purpose. The front 

 part of the screen may be lowered (•5) 

 so as to form an incline. If the bees 

 are likely to build combs below the 

 frames, the screen may be raised so 

 that there will be only a bee-space be- 

 tween it and the frames, and it will still 

 serve its purpose as a ventilator. It 

 may be lowered so as to give a 3-inch 

 space below for moving to and from 

 out-apiaries or in summer as extra 

 means for ventilation, to help prevent 

 swarming (6). 



The entrance block is a 4-inch piece 

 (7) ;'s-inch thick with a V notch cut 

 into it and a piece of screen attached 

 on one side. This also serves as an 

 alighting-board and is slipped in or 

 out to regulate the size of the entrance. 

 By shoving it far enough the entrance 

 may be entirely closed. 



The bottom-board may be used as a 



feeder by simply inserting a dripping 

 pan with a float in it. But I like the 

 friction-top honey pail of J. L. Byer 

 better. 

 Spring Valley, Minn. 



An Analysis of Dark Gray 

 Honey 



Does Soot in the Air Get Into Nectar and 

 Discolor the Honey ? 



BY 7. A. HEBERLE, B. S. 



Based OH a rfport of Dr. J. Drost, m the Bienen 

 'AcituNS 



A SAMPLE of basswood honey from 

 Mr. H. Ninebuck, of Hamburg, 

 was sent for an analysis to Dr. J. 

 Drost, that was remarkable for its dark 

 color (mouse gray). Mr. Ninebuck 

 contends that the off color is from 

 soot. Those not agreeing with him 

 say that during the short time flowers 

 secrete nectar but very little soot 

 could find its way into the nectar; be- 

 sides, a good many flowers and blos- 

 soms are bending over or hanging, 

 etc., thus practically preventing soot 



BY EU SWENSON. 



THERE has been so much talk on 

 different bottom-boards and feed- 

 ers combined, that I will describe 

 the one I like best. 



It is made 4 inches deep, with the 

 back nailed solid, but the front piece 

 is hinged so it may be let down and 

 used as an alighting-board (1). This 

 piece has two hive hooks which fasten 

 on to the side pieces to hold it in place 

 when raised (2). 



A board of Js inch material (3) slides 

 in or out, and may be raised or lowered 

 as occasion requires in fall, winter 

 and spring. In the winter it is lowered 

 (4) so as to give a deep clustering 

 space under the frames (which seems 

 to be their choice when conditions 

 permit). It is also impossible for the 

 entrance to become clogged with dead 

 bees as it is over 3 inches above the 

 bottom. In the spring this board is 

 again raised so as to make less room 

 for the bees to keep warm. When 

 warm weather sets in, this board is 

 slipped out and a screen frame put in 

 its place. 



i;d swenson-s bottom board 



ANOTHliK VIKW OK SWENSONS IDEA OK A GOOD BOTTOM BOARD 



