GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



visits were made to apiaries by inspectors 

 during- tlie season of 1914; and while in the 

 feuropean-foul-brood districts half of the 

 apiaries visited were found diseased, only 

 31 per cent of the apiaries visited in the 

 American-foul-brood district were found to 

 be in this condition. In other words, where- 

 as the inspectors went only to apiaries 

 where disease had been reported or was 

 strongly suspected, seven out of ten such 

 apiaries in the American-foul-brood district 

 were found to be free of disease. This shows 

 that the educational campaign which we 

 have been conducting for several years is 

 bearing good fruit. 



While it is exceedingly regrettable, it is 

 not surprising that European foul brood is 

 still spreading rapidly. Some new counties 

 have been taken into the diseased area this 

 year. It is only a matter of time when the 

 whole province will be covered. Nothing 

 but careful requeening with vigorous stock 

 and advanced methods of management will 

 save any apiary in Ontario from ultimate 

 destruction. By our publications, demon- 

 strations, and inspectors^ practically every 

 beekeeper of Ontario has been repeatedly 

 warned, yet comparatively few have taken 

 heed or will heed until the enemy is upon 

 them, and they have suffered heavy loss. In 

 the infected area the business has been re- 

 duced to the very few who have taken ad- 

 vice and are building up their apiaries 

 again to a paying basis. These few are 

 proving the truth of what has been said, 

 and their evidence is of great value in the 

 educational campaign still being waged in 

 advance of the disease. 



No doubt one reason for the indifference 

 to warnings in the European-foul-brood 

 counties is the fact that previously no bee 

 disease had been known there. It is only 

 this year that the American and European 

 foul-brood territory began to overlap in 

 Victoria County. From now on we can 

 expect an increasing number of cases of the 

 two diseases in one and the same colony. 

 This will, no doubt, make it necessary to 

 treat all such colonies by requeening for 

 European foul brood, and by shaking for 

 the American variety of disease. 



Fifty-five apiary demonstrations were 

 held in all parts of Ontario, with a total 

 attendance of 1861 persons. In 1912 the 

 average attendance was 25; in 1913 it was 

 32, and this year 34, showing an increased 

 interest from year to year. 



This report would not be complete without 

 mention being made of the public spirited- 

 ness and the hospitality of several who have 

 given their assistance. Fifty-five beekeep- 

 ers have at considerable inconvenience al- 

 lowed their apiaries to be used for demon- 

 strations. In many cases their wives and 

 other ladies of the neighborhood have pro- 

 vided refreshments for the demonstrator? 

 and for the beekeepers in attendance. Hun- 

 dreds of other beekeepers have given a 

 hearty welcome and cordial hospitality to 

 the inspectors on their rounds. All this 

 is very much appreciated, both by the in- 

 spectors and by the department, and goes a 

 long way toward smoothing the path of the 

 ]mblic servant, which is not always lined 

 wdth roses. 



Guelph, Ontario. 



EL GEARING 



BY H. H. ROOT 



E\er since beekeepers began to use power 

 honey-extractors there have been complaints 

 regarding several features in connection 

 with the construction of the driving mech- 

 anism, and a number of beekeeoers have 

 substituted other devices such as clutch 

 jHiUeys, loose pulleys with a belt-shifter, 

 etc., the idea being to secure a more flexible 

 device for starting the extractor, and one 

 that could be operated with less effort, even 

 when the hands are slippery with honey. 

 Again, a number have written regarding 

 the desirability of some scheme which would 

 allow the pump to run all of the time in- 

 stead of only while the reel is turning, so 

 that it may have a longer time to do its 

 work and thus be allowed to run at a some- 



what slower Sliced. In employing a fric- 

 tion drive instead of the usual bevel-gear 

 drive we feel that we have secured several 

 important results — first, doing away with 

 the idler or helt-tightener. This de\ace has 

 frequently been a cause of complaint; for, 

 besides being rather hard to operate, it is 

 dilificult to get the proper degree of tension 

 on the belt to start the reel as gently and 

 yet as quickly as required. For instance, 

 one notch may leave the belt too loose, while 

 the next makes it too tight. Furthermore, 

 a belt will not last as long when its " back 

 is broken " bv being bent both ways in 

 passing over an idler-pulley. 



Second, allowing the pump to run all the 

 lime. 



