THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



39 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



WASHINGTON, AUGUST, 1869. 



It^" Though this number of the Bee Jouknal 

 contains four additional pages, we have still on 

 hand a number of communications which reached 

 us too late for insertion this month. 



^IW The success of ' ' Novice " in the artificial 

 incubation of bees, should lead to further experi- 

 ments. With a suitable apparatus and such 

 modifications and improvements of the process 

 as will readily suggest themselves, we think a 

 complete revolution in artificial multiplication 

 of stocks may be effected. 



In the further prosecution of his investigation 

 of the nature and cause of foulbrood, Mr. Lam. 

 brecht has ascertained that though its chief source 

 is found in fermenting or fermented pollen and 

 honey, there are at least seven secondary cause^ 

 to which it can be traced. Yet he feels confi- 

 dent that he has it now so completely under 

 control as to be able to produce, check and cure 

 the disease at will. His ability to do this was 

 recently tested by a committee appointed by the 

 Salzgitter Apiarian Society in Brunswick, Prus- 

 sia. They certify that in a healthy colony se- 

 lected by themselves, Mr. L. speedily produced 

 the disease by feeding the bees with fermenting 

 pollen and honey, so that when examined by 

 them the brood cells contained a tough, brownisii- 

 grey, fetid matter. Even the larvse in new drone 

 comb were destroyed thereby— which circum- 

 stance the committee regard as decisive evidence 

 of the existence of the malady in its most malig- 

 nant form. We have not yet seen their final 

 report, but understand that it is conclusive as to 

 the efficiency of the modeof treatment employed 

 by Mr. L., — which varies according to the par- 

 ticular type or stage of the disease. We pre- 

 sume we shall have the report at an early day ; 

 probably in time for the next number of the 

 Bee Journal. 



Mr. L. designs now, if sufficient encourage- 

 ment be offered, to communicate to bee-keepers 

 his method of efi'ectually curing a foulbroody 

 colony in two days at most, to prevent the intro. 

 duction or spread of the disease in an apiary, 

 and to render fermented or infected honey in- 

 nocuous when used as bee-feed. To this end 

 he proposes to issue, at as early a period as prac- 



ticable, a pamphlet giving his processes and the 

 curative means employed, provided 500 subscri- 

 bers at four dollars per copy, or 1,000 at two 

 dollars, can be obtained in the United States. 

 These prices are fixed with a view of securing to 

 him compensation for his labor, and some remu- 

 neration for the benefit conferred on bee-culture 

 by his invention. If efficient, a knowledge of 

 the process would, even at the higher price of 

 the pamphlet, be cheap to any one in whose api- 

 ary the disease exists, or where the introduction 

 of it may be feared, for hitherto it has proved to 

 be an unmanageable and disastrous malady 

 when it has obtained foothold. We will receive 

 the names of subscribers conditionally, to be 

 forwarded only in case the whole number re- 

 quired is made up, and there be satisfactory 

 evidence that the process will in all cases effect 

 a cure. 



It^"We shall hold over the " Hungarian's" 

 story till next month, hoping meantime to find 

 a further account of the wonderful mode of win- 

 teiing spoken of by him. He did not originate 

 the story, nor did he greatly embellish it. It has 

 long been current in Germany, and is certainlj-- 

 almost as marvellous a narrative as that of the 

 ancient method of producing bees detailed by 

 Virgil. 



We find the following paragraph now going 

 the rounds in the daily papers : 



m^"" A victimized farmer has found that kero- 

 sene oil gives instant relief if applied to bee- 

 stings." 



It happens that, whatever else the "victim- 

 ized farmer " may have found, he did not find 

 that fact. The discovery was made by a corre- 

 spondent of the Bee Journal — the Rev. P. R. 

 Russell, of Bolton, Mass., and by him communi- 

 cated for our June number. We have known it 

 to be successfully tried in several instances re- 

 cently. 



111^° Where pasturage is abundant in the fall, 

 but scaice in July and August, feed your bees 

 in those months suflaciently to keep up brood- 

 ing. Bees reared in August and September may 

 indeed come too late to aid in out-door labor 

 before the season ends : but their presence in the 

 hive will release a corresponding number of 

 older bees from home duties, and allow them to 

 engage in foraging abroad while the weather 

 permits. 



