898 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



That plan also was laid aside, as I became 

 more and more convinced that the Alexan- 

 der treatment was a complete success. I 

 have no theory to cover the facts. I only 

 know that it succeeds if followed strictly as 

 Mr. Alexander has given it. 



There are some cases that may be cured 

 with a shorter period of queenlessness than 

 he has recommended; but until one has had 

 long experience it is not safe to have a lay- 

 ing queen in the hive in less than 21 days 

 after the old one is removed. If the remov- 

 ed queens are introduced in other hives the 

 disease usually follows them, even when the 

 queens are young and vigorous. So it is 

 usually best to destroy the queens when they 

 are removed. 



Dr. Miller has given us some modifica- 

 tions of the Alexander plan that I should 

 like to try; but the disease had disappeared 

 among my bees before his experiments were 

 published. I am pretty sure, though, that 

 his cases were much milder than mine. In 

 my worst cases three-fourths of the brood 

 would die in a very short time, and the 

 combs were full of rotten larvae with a 

 strong sour smell. Such colonies always 

 required a long period of queenlessness. 

 Generally I kept them queenless 18 or 20 

 days, then gave a virgin or a ripe queen-cell. 



Many will doubtless wonder as I did what 

 will be the final outcome of the disease 

 question — whether it will kill off all the 

 bees, or make beekeeping unprofitable. Not 

 at all. When it first appeared in this locality 

 nearly every farmer had a few bees, mostly 

 black. Where no treatment at all was given, 

 most of the bees died; but two neighbors 

 who merely Italianized their bees still have 

 nearly as many colonies as ever. By using 

 the treatment just given I have kept bees 

 for a living through the worst of it, though 

 I could have handled more colonies if they 

 had all been healthy. One good result, among 

 others, was the destruction of nearly all 

 black bees, leaving the field to the Italians. 



I have mentioned elsewhere the peculiar 

 way in which the disease spreads. I had 

 always supposed that it was spread mostly 

 by robbing; but experience convinced me 

 that the young bees at play were the most 

 frequent cause of new cases by entering the 

 wrong hive after a flight. My hives are 

 arranged in pairs, two on a stand. When 

 a case appeared, say, in the left-hand hive 

 of a pair, at the front of the apiary, the 

 left-hand hive of other pairs near the first 

 would soon show dead brood. I have seen 

 it several times follow one side of the api- 

 ary, entirely across, taking the left-hand 

 hive on each stand, while those on the right 

 hand remained free. I could see no explan- 

 ation except that the young bees that had 



been feeding sick larvae had taken a flight, 

 entered the wrong hive, and carried disease 

 to a healthy colony. 



Incidentally I learned something about 

 how bees mark their location where there 

 are many hives together. They seem never 

 to mistake right and left, and never to enter 

 a hive of another color than their own. The 

 most common mistake is for them to enter 

 the hive just behind their t)wn, and on the 

 same side of the stand. 



In conclusion I must warn the novice, as 

 Dr. Miller has done, that I have been talk- 

 ing about European foul brood. With the 

 American form, so called, this treatment 

 might prove a failure. If you are in doubt 

 as to which you have, send samples to 

 Washnigton and have them examined. 



Newman, 111. 



THE QUEBEC CONVENTION 



BY A. 0. COMIRE, SEC. 



The annual convention of the Quebec 

 Apicultural Society was held in Montreal 

 Nov. 12, at 10 A. M. About a hundred mem- 

 bers were present, Dr. Emery Lalonde being 

 in the chair. 



The minutes of the previous meeting were 

 read and approved, and the following offi- 

 cers nominated. 



Dr. Emery Lalonde, Rigaud. 



J. 0. Levac, Rigaud. 



Jacques Verret, Charlesbourg. 



J. A. Vaillancourt, Montreal. 



Chrs. Ed. Martin, Louiseville. 



J. A. Desforges, Pont-Chateau. 



Xavier Morin, Maskinonge. 



F. W. Jones, Bedford. 



Michel Dufault, St. Roch. 



Ludger Rochefort, Becancour. 



Prudent Lapointe, St. Henri de Mas- 

 couche. 



Ulderic Paradis, Cavignac. 



A. L. Beaudin, St. Chrysostome. 



Mr. Dufault proposed that the Hon. J. E. 

 Caron, Minister of Agriculture, be named 

 Honorary President of the society ; Dr. 

 Emery Lalonde President; A. L. Beaudin 

 Vice-iDresident ; A. 0. Comire Secretary- 

 treasurer for the ensuing year. 



The report of the Treasurer showed a 

 balance on hand of $326. 



Mr. H. Nagant, representing the Minister 

 of Agi'iculture, then gave a paper before 

 the convention concerning statistics relative 

 to the i^roduction of honey in Quebec. In 

 his letter the Minister complains that our 

 society has not furnished as complete sta- 

 tistics as those furnished by the societies 

 in the counties of L'Islet and Quebec, and 

 that, in consequence, he found himself under 



