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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Sept. U, 



and a half. Making proper allowance we may say, till some 

 crucial experiment is made, that it requires nearly two pounds 

 of houey for the production of a pound of unhatched brood. 

 Of course, much pollen is used in addition. If the mature 

 bees during their active life use any considerable amount of 

 honey with their more substantial pollen diet, that complicates 

 the matter. If the same line of reasoning be applied to the 

 colonies of June 23, proper allowance being made for the 

 difference in the length of time during which feeding has been 

 going on, and for the greater proportion of uncapped brood, 

 they will furnish strikingly corroborative evidence. 



That the assumption made above is not a violent one is 

 shown clearly, so far as the performance of one colony can do 

 it, by No. 9 of the table. An artificial swarm of about the 

 average strength of others of the same date the total amount 

 of its honey product is considerably above the average. The 

 results in the case of this colony prove, so far as they go, that 

 artificial swarms may do fully as effective work as natural 

 ones. 



It is only necessary to point out further that No. 10, the 

 colony with a virgin queen, in proportion to its strength, out- 

 did all its competitors in the production of comb honey — the 

 point where excellency was least looked for — a result which 

 seems at least to call for a suspension of judgment on the 

 question of the desirability of virgin queens in colonies used 

 for the securing of comb honey — Review. 



Lapeer, Mich., July 27. 



An Experience with Pickled Brood or White 

 Fungus. 



BY W. J. 8TAHMANN. 



Bees in this locality have been troubled more or less with 

 the brood dying in certain hives. Fearing it might be an 

 epidemic, or finally turn into foul brood, I mailed a sample of 

 the dead brood to Dr. Wra. R. Howard, of Texas — one of our 

 most noted professors of bacteriology. He has made a com- 

 plete diagnosis of the case, and has requested me to give the 

 symptoms of, and my experience with, the disease for publica- 

 tion ; promising to write up the scientific part, and differen- 

 tiate all the points between this and true foul brood, accom- 

 panied with illustrations ; to which proposition I gladly 

 accede, hoping it may be of benefit to some brother bee-keeper. 

 [Dr. Howard's article on this subject appeared two weeks ago. 

 — Editor. J 



In the first place the brood dies just before it is ready to 

 seal ; in this respect I do not think it varies 24 hours. 1 sel- 

 dom find any dead brood in sealed cells, while that which I 

 have found is the same size as that which is not sealed. 



Secondly, it lies on its back, both ends pointing upward, 

 at first white, and hard to distinguish from live brood. At 

 this stage the bees generally remove it. If not removed, its 

 color changes to a yellow in a few days, getting darker until 

 it is nearly black. In some cases it is allowed to dry in the 

 cells. It is very watery after it is colored ; not at all ropy or 

 sticky, and emits no foul odor. 



One peculiarity of this disease is, that it apparently comes 

 and goes. For instance, a colony may have only a few cells 

 of dead larvae and keep them removed, so that it is hardly 

 noticeable at times ; then they may take a turn and not re- 

 move it; this seems to cause it to increase very rapidly, and 

 many more die than if they kept it removed. Then, again, 

 they will take another fit of "Aunt Dinah house-cleaning," 

 and clear all up again. I have had some colonies that have 

 shown considerable dead brood all summer, with no percepti- 

 ble increase or decrease ; this is more noticeable among black 

 bees. Such colonies, if given a new queen from stock that 

 will remove all foreign matter, check the disease to such an 

 extent that it is sometimes a difficult matter to find a cell of 



dead brood. Such colonies might have the disease a long 

 time and the apiarist not notice it, unless he looked for it 

 carefully. I have a number of colonies that never allow any 

 of the dead larvae to remain in the hive long enough for it to 

 color. As long as bees keep removing them at this rate, the 

 disease is kept in check and does not weaken the colony. 



I am of the opinion that when bees have contracted this 

 disease it never leaves them permanently, as some bee-keep- 

 ers I have talked and corresponded with seem to think. One 

 says " he has seen samples of it in his own yard at various 

 times, but it has invariably gone off itself, and it rarely affects 

 more than two or three combs in a hive, and only a few scat- 

 tering cells in each. It has never spread, but comes and goes." 



Another assured me that it would leave as soon as the 

 honey began to come in freely ; it did in his apiary, etc. I 

 believe that some of my colonies have had this disease for 

 several years without my noticing it, and that 1 have spread 

 it in my apiaries by changing combs from one hive to another. 

 So far there has been no serious result from it, as only a few 

 of my colonies have been slightly weakened by the disease. 



As an experiment tending towards a cure, I selected one 

 colony that was badly infected, took away all their old combs 

 and gave them new frames, with foundation starters only. So 

 far I can find no trace of the disease. Weaver, Minn. 



Another Constitution — Proposed by Dr. Mason. 



Station B, Toledo, Ohio, Sept. 9, 1896. 



Editok American Bee Journal : — The following, or 

 something similar, will appear in the next issue of the bee- 

 papers. Please putit in the next issue of the American Bee 

 Journal. It was my intention to submit the enclosed Consti- 

 tution in this form to the members of the Amalgamation Com- 

 mittee — and I did so yesterday — for their criticism, and then 

 when as well prepared as we could do it, present it to the next 

 meeting of the North American at Lincoln, as the report of 

 the Committee ; but the editors of Gleanings and the Ameri- 

 can Bee Journal have suggested that it be published in the 

 bee-papers so as to give all an opportunity to make any sug- 

 gestion they may see fit before the convention meets. 



Now, to hasten matters, let each one who wishes to make 

 any suggestions write them out in full, wording them jitst a« 

 they would like to luive them worded, and send directly to me, 

 so as to reach me not later than Oct. 3, and I'll see that what 

 they send me is laid before the convention at Lincoln. 



You know I'm in favor of calling the organization " The 

 North American Bee-Keepers' Union," and I don't allow any 

 one who sends suggestions to criticise the name ; just criticise 

 the proposed Constitution and let me alone. 



Direct all letters to "Station B, Toledo, Ohio." 



A. B. Mason. 



[The constitution referred to above, and as sent to us by 

 Dr. Mason, reads as follows: — Ed.] 



ARTICLE I.— Name. 



This organization shall be known as the United States 

 Bee-Keepers' Association. 



ARTICLE II.— Object. 



Its object shall be to promote and protect the interests of 

 its members, and to promote the general interests of the par- 

 suit of bee-culture. 



ARTICLE III.— Membership. 



Any person may become a member upon the payment of 

 one dollar annually to the Secretary or General Manager, 

 except as provided in Section 7 of Article VI. of this Constitu- 

 tion, or an Honorary member by a majority vote of the mem- 

 bers present at any regular meeting. 



ARTICLE IV.— Officers. 



The officers of this Association shall be President, Vice- 

 President, a Secretary and a Board of Directors, which shall 



