APRIL 15, 1915 



top of tlu' lii\ e-i'overs is an old plan ihal 

 1 once eiuployod myself while carrying on 

 experimental work at College Station, and 

 I liad hanging in the honey-house a chart 

 showing the meaning of the different posi- 

 tions of these bricks on the hives. The first 

 cost of the bricks is rather expensive, how- 

 ever, and it is a lot of trouble to lift off and 

 replace the great number of heavy bricks 

 every time a hive is to be examined. Of 

 course, the argument may be advanced that 

 these bricks serve the additional purpose 

 of holding down the covers against being 

 blown off by strong winds; but I have pre- 

 ferred the use of slightly heavier covers, or 

 such that are so constructed that they can 

 not he blown off easily, and that can be 

 lifted off with one operation. I still ad- 

 here to the manner of indicating the con- 

 dition of the colonies on the hive-covers, 

 but use small stones or pebbles that can 

 always be picked up in almost every apiary. 

 These cost nothing, and serve the purpose 



just as well. 



* * '« 



THE EMERGENCY AND GENERAL TEXAS FOUL- 

 BROOD APPROPRIATIONS. 



Governor Ferguson has just signed to- 

 day. March 18, the emergency foul-brood- 

 appropriation bill of $3000. This is purely 

 an emergency appropriation for this year, 

 and to precede the general appropriation 

 requested by the Texas Experiment Station 

 in the budget for the next two fiscal years 

 beginning Sept. 1. 



Xo approi»riation was made by the Thir- 

 ty-third Legislature for this purpose, owing 

 to the fact that this was by some mysterious 

 manner left out of the appropriation bud- 

 get altogether during its passage through 

 the legislature. Owing to the fact that the 

 general appropriation would not become 

 available until after Sept. 1, this emergency 

 appropriation will permit the work to be 

 taken up again immediately where it was 

 left off over a year ago. 



The amount asked for in the budget of 

 the experiment station is .flO,000 for each 

 of the two fiscal years, ini4-'1.5 and 1915- 

 '16. This is a larger appropination than 

 has ever been asked for such purpose, or 

 that has been made by any other state. It 

 is intended to use a larger amount of money 

 at one time with the determination to eradi- 

 cate the disease from the state rather than 

 to carry on the inspection work in the usual 

 and more or less inefficient manner year 

 after year with smaller appropriations. It 

 is believed that this will prove by far the 

 better jilan, and cost less eventually. With 

 the disease once wiped out. proper qnaian- 

 tine regulations established and enforced. 



and tlien followed up with smaller appro- 

 priations more easily obtained thereafter, 

 seems to be a superior policy with which to 

 cope with the monstrous task of dealing 

 with foul brood. 



Although the members of the present 

 legislature have begun to understand the 

 great importance of the beekeeping indus- 

 try, and the great need of ample appropria- 

 tions of money with which to combat foul 

 brood and other bee diseases, it is impossi- 

 ble at this time to say whether they will 

 gi-ant as large an appropriation as is sought 

 for this purpose in the experiment-station 

 budget. If they only knew the gravity 

 of this question, and the effect the presence 

 of this disease has in retarding the beekeep- 

 ing industry, there would be little hesita- 

 tion. Most of the members know little or 

 nothing about this matter. They are not 

 beekeepei's; and even many who have bees 

 of their ow-n, or those who have neighbors 

 who may be even extensively engaged in 

 this pursuit, do not know the seriousness of 

 the situation as we do. It behooves us, 

 therefore, as I have said in this department 

 before, to call their attention to it. The 

 appropriation bills will come up in the 

 special session, which convenes April 29, 

 and there will be plenty of time for Texas 

 readers to write to their representatives and 

 senators after they get this journal, and 

 before the legislature meets again. Even if 

 one has already written them, it will be well 

 to call their attention to it again for the 

 special session. 



In conclusion I feel grateful indeed to the 

 members of the Thirty-fourth Legislature 

 for already so willingly granting the emer- 

 gency appropriation that is noAV available, 

 and I hope they will give further due con- 

 sideration to the regular appropriation. 

 * # * 



BEEKEEPERS AND LAW-MAKERS. 



The Texas legislature has at least one 

 beekeeper among the membership this year. 

 " Beekeeping " is given as the occupation 

 of this member, and I know that this is the 

 sole occupation because I happen to be that 

 member. It has always been my utmost 

 endeavor to place beekeeping on a higher 

 plane, and much of my time has been devot- 

 ed to efforts in this direction during the last 

 fifteen years. Of course, to many it will 

 occur as to wdiether " mixing beekeeping 

 with politics " is lifting our beloved indus- 

 try to higher planes. I would have it under- 

 stood, however, that I do not desire to be 

 classed with the " professional politicians." 

 It is my desire to remain just a plain com- 

 mon-sense representative of the people who 

 have chosen me to represent them. 



