1908 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1305 



In such cases the colonies, if weak, should be 

 united with the others according to any one of 

 the methods mentioned on page 1178 of our issue 

 for Oct. 1. 



HOW TO CONTROL THE RAVAGES OF FOUL BROOn 



IN STATES WHERE THERE ARE NO FOUL-BROOD 



LAWS; THE VALUE OF DIPLOMACY. 



The question is often aslced what to do when 

 foul brood is in one's locality, and there is no 

 State legislation covering that disease. Where 

 one has considerable invested in bees in any such 

 State, he can not afford to allow the disease to 

 exist within a few miles of his locality. Indeed, 

 he can better afford to inspect all bees within ten 

 miles of him, and administer cures, if need be, at 

 his own expense. The only thing to do in a case 

 of this kind is to use diplomacy and moral sua- 

 sion. Good bee-inspectors tell us that they rare- 

 ly have to bring the law to bear on any recalci- 

 trant bee-keeper. If an inspector is made of the 

 right stuff he can generally get along without 

 any trouble, and the same is true of the bee-keep- 

 er without a law back of him. All he needs to 

 do is to cultivate the acquaintance of all bee- 

 keepers within ten miles of his apiary. If there 

 are many of them, let him call together a bee con- 

 vention to discuss methods of management, prices 

 of honey, and last, but not least, bee diseases and 

 their cure. After getting them together in a 

 friendly way it is very easy to volunteer assistance. 



But suppose there are only one or two bee- 

 keepers in the locality. Take a horse and buggy, 

 and on arriving at, we will say, Mr. Jones' home, 

 address him something after this fashion: 



" Mr. Jones, I am a bee-keeper at Blankville. 

 I understand that you have been having a little 

 difficulty with some disease or malady among 

 your bees. Thinking that I might be able to 

 help you, I drove over this morning. I should 

 be glad to examine your bees; and if you have 

 what is known as foul brood I will cure it for you 

 free of charge," If he receives you kindly your 

 task is easy. 



In the back end of the buggy should be extra 

 frames of foundation; and if Mr. Jones is the 

 right kind of person he will be willing to pay the 

 cost of them. If he is a little "offish," give him 

 the frames outright, on condition that he will 

 permit you to burn the combs and the brood. 



In all cases of this kind, make careful inquiry 

 of all these Mr. Joneses to ascertain whether they 

 are hard to get along with. If they are of the 

 other sort, get some one who is a good friend of 

 both of you to go with you. 



We will guarantee that, in ninety-nine cases 

 out of a hundred, if you use the right kind of 

 diplomacy you will be able to banish the disease 

 from your locality, and it will not cost you near- 

 ly as much as to spend several days at the State 

 House trying to get the members of the legisla- 

 ture to pass a foul-brood bill. While every State 

 should have a foul-brood law, one can not afford 

 to allow the disease to exist in his locality in the 

 absence of such law without making some intelli- 

 gent effort to combat it. If there is no law, there 

 is no legal way in which one can compel a bee- 

 keeper to treat foul brood if he has it. He must 

 coax him into it by showing him that it is to his 

 interest to cure it. 



THE DETROIT CONVENTION. 



The meeting of the National Bee-keepers' As- 

 sociation at Detroit, Oct. 13 — 15, was a success 

 in every way. It was estimated there were be- 

 tween 300 and 400 in attendance. Bee-keepers 

 came from the east, north, south, and west, and 

 from Canada. There was not only a big atten- 

 dance, but a large number of representative bee- 

 keepers, well known either from their writings or 

 because of their large interests in bees and bee- 

 keeping. Detroit has well earned the reputation 

 of being an ideal city for a convention of bee- 

 keepers. 



The convention was held in a large hall — in 

 fact, it was too large to enjoy the best acoustic 

 properties. Unfortunately some carpenters were 

 at work on the building, and at some of the ses- 

 sions the sound of hammers made hearing diffi- 

 cult if not impossible. When it became intoler- 

 able the members were allowed to retire to an ad- 

 joining hall in the rear. But even there the car- 

 penters could be heard. 



This convention was remarkable in another 

 way, in that there was no bitterness or personali- 

 ties indulged in, either on the floor or between 

 sessions. Every one, apparently, came with the 

 view of receiving and imparting. 



There were many exhibits, and a number of 

 good prizes carried off. The program, which 

 was most carefully prepared by Secretary Hutch- 

 inson, came off with very little hitch. 



In our next issue we hope to give one or two 

 of the papers, and in the mean time we present 

 here a report of one of the sessions by A. I. Root, 

 who was present. 



"turning winter losses INTO PROFIT;" ALSO 

 HOW TO FREE A LOCALITY FROM DISEASE. 



Taking it for granted that our readers will, at 

 least the greater part of them, have access to the 

 stenographer's report of the National convention 

 at Detroit, I will not attempt to give a write-up. 

 Perhaps I ought to add, however, that I do not 

 think 1 ever before met so many people who 

 wanted to shake hands with your humble servant. 

 If I attended the different sessions of the conven- 

 tion, and avoided talking while some speaker oc- 

 cupied the floor, it was about all I could possibly 

 do to shake hands and make each one tell his 

 name and address. In that way I could locate 

 and identify many of them. A dozen times or 

 more I said to myself, " I must go back and hunt 

 up that dear brother or sister, and have a talk." 

 My name was called by many voices at the close 

 of the first evening session; but as it was already 

 bedtime, I decided to give my little talk the fol- 

 lowing day; but the program was so full, and the 

 speakers were so able, that there did not seem to 

 be any chance for me to return even a friendly 

 greeting. I hope the women-folks especially will 

 accept my apology for replying so briefly to their 

 many kind words of appreciation — especially the 

 expressions, accompanied by a pleasant look, in 

 regard to the Home papers. I am going to try 

 hard to keep well and to live long for the sake 

 of the wives and mothers if for no other reason. 



The marked event of the convention (to me) 

 was the address of W. J. Manley, of Sandusky, 

 Michigan. The subject was the title of this ar- 

 ticle — "Turning Winter Losses into Profit. " By 



