JUNE 1, 1913 



Beekeepers' Association, and State Econom- 

 ic Zoologist. Dr. Surface is eminently the 

 man for this work. 



Michigan is another State that has al- 

 ready secured foul-brood legislation. Par- 

 ticulars concerning this were given in our 

 last issue. Minnesota has now secured one 

 of the best laws that there is on the statute 

 book of any State. This measure was pass- 

 ed recently, carrying with it a special ap- 

 propriation of $3000 a year. At a called 

 meeting of the Minnesota Beekeepers' Asso- 

 ciation, May 5, a motion was duly made 

 and unanimously carried, recommending the 

 Board of Regents of Minnesota to appoint 

 Dr. L. D. Leonard to the head of the Api- 

 cultural Department at the Agi-icultural 

 College. Dr. Leonard is one of the influen- 

 tial beekeepers of Minnesota. For many 

 years he was president of the Minnesota 

 Slate Beekeepers' Association, and has been 

 for four years its secretary. He has been 

 keeping bees for twenty years, and in every 

 way is well qualified to fill the post for 

 which he has been recommended. 



Iowa has for a year or so back had a 

 foul-brood law, but practically no appro- 

 ]>riation back of it to carry it into effect. 

 Tills defect has been remedied, and now tlie 

 beekeepers of that State have $1-500. The 

 ndministration of this law lias been placed 

 in the hands of former State Foul-brood 

 Inspector Frank C. Pellet. Another bill has 

 been passed forbidding the shipment of 

 diseased bees into Iowa. Mr. F. C. Pellet 

 is not only a beekeeper, but is on one of 

 the lecture-bureau courses for a variety of 

 subjects. Of course this means that he will 

 be able to give public addresses on bees. 



For years California has had a foul-brood 

 law; but, like all county laws, this, to a 

 great extent, has been ineffective. It soon 

 became evident that a State-wide law was 

 needed. For a number of years back the 

 beekeepers 'of the Grolden State have tried 

 to secure such a law, but without success. 

 One has now been enacted that is probably 

 equal to any law in any State. It appoints 

 a commission consisting of the State Com- 

 missioner of Horticulture, with the presi- 

 dent and secretary of the State Beekeepers' 

 Association. It is the duty of these gentle- 

 men to appoint a State apiarian, who, in 

 connection with the commissioners already 

 mentioned, are to make examination of in- 

 spectors in order that no one be appointed 

 who is not well qualified for this important 

 work. It will be remembered that the State 

 Comm.issioner of Horticulture is none other 

 tlian our old friend Prof. A. J. Cook, for- 

 merly of the Michigan Agriciiltural College, 

 and later Entomologist at Pomona College. 

 Claremont, Cal. He has ever sought to ad- 



vance the cause of beekeeping. He was 

 largely instrumental, if we are correct, in 

 securing Micliigan's first foul-brood law. 

 He conducted a number of interesting ex- 

 periments at the Michigan Agricultural Col- 

 lege, showing the invaluable service per- 

 formed by the bees in pollinating fruit- 

 blossoms. He was among the first to call 

 attention to the value of honey as a food, 

 showing that it is an invert sugar and easily 

 assimilated. He continued his interest in 

 bees when he went to California. He is a 

 big broad man, and we should imagine that 

 conditions respecting bee diseases will be 

 materially improved. 



For several years back the beekeeping 

 industry in Nevada has been growing at a 

 rapid rate ; but, unfortunately, there has 

 been no effective foul-brood law to prevent 

 the spread of disease. Bees have been 

 brought into Nevada and California by the 

 carload. In many cases it has been found 

 that these carload shipments have contained 

 bee diseases; but the beekeepers of those 

 States were powerless. Nevada has finally 

 come into line, but, unfortunately, with 

 nothing better than a county law. This. 

 however, is much better than nothing; but 

 it is to be hoped that the beekeepers of 

 that State will see to it that a State-wide 

 measure is enacted, as it would be difficult 

 to prevent the importation of diseased bees 

 from diseased apiaries unless some police 

 authority be vested in some State official. 



Mr. J. Benjamin Hall, with the co-oper- 

 ation of the beekeepers of Idaho, has just 

 succeeded in getting a foul-brood law en- 

 acted, known as House Bill No. 29.5. A good 

 appropriation was also secured so that good 

 work may be expected. See Mr. Wesley 

 Foster's comment in his department on 

 another page. 



Last, but not least, Texas has finaUy 

 passed the amended foul-brood law, and tlo 

 same will become effective July 1. Its ad- 

 ministration, as before, will be in the hands 

 of the State Entomologist, Prof. Wilmon 

 Newell, at College Station. Prof. Newell is 

 one of the best entomologists in the United 

 States; and, what is more, an enthusiastic 

 beekeeper himself. The biggest State in the 

 Union, and, possibly and probably, the big- 

 gest bee State, ought to have a good man for 

 the administration of this law, and it surely 

 has got him. The special features of the 

 new law will be given later. 



All together, foul-brood legislation is ad- 

 vancing at a rapid rate in the fTnited States, 

 and we now have 33 States having foul- 

 brood laws. In most of the States the spread 

 of diseases has been checked. In many 

 others there is a decided decrease in brood 

 diseases. 



