THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



91 



have proven, that foul brood can 

 be effectually cured by the starva- 

 tion plan ; yet in the hands of the 

 inexperienced it means spreading 

 of this dread disease. Hence we 

 consider this law a benelit to the 

 beekeepers. 



Lansing, Mich. 

 Friend Locke : 



As I am hav- 

 ing many inquiries regarding our 

 foul-brood law, I tiiought perhaps 

 3'ou would like to publish it. 

 STATE OF MICHIGAX. 

 PILE NO. 54. 

 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 

 NO. 96. 

 [introduced by MR. ROOT.] 



llecommended by Committee on 

 Horticulture. 



Lansing, Mich., Feb. 3, 1881. 

 A BILL 



To prevent the spread of Foul 

 Brood among bees, and to extir- 

 pate the same. 



Section 1. The People of the State of yrich- 

 ir/an enact, Thiit it shall be unlawtul for any 

 jlerson to keep in his apiary any colony of 

 l)ees aifected with the <;oi)tagtous malady 

 known as foul brood; and it shall be the duty 

 of every beekeeper, as soon as he becomes 

 aware of the existence of said disease among 

 his bees, to forthwith destroy or cause to be 

 destroyed all colonies thus aiffected. 



Sec. 2. In any county in this State, in 

 which foul biood exists, or in which there 

 are good reasons to lielieve it exists, it 

 sliall lie lawl'id for any live or more actual 

 beekeepers of .said county to set foith sucli 

 fact, belief or apprehension in a petition ad- 

 dressed to rlie jiidf^e of probate, retpiiring 

 him to a|)point a (■(■mpctent commissioner to 

 prevent tlie >pread of said disease and to 

 eradicate the same; which petition shall be 

 filed with, and l)ecome a part of, the records 

 of the court where such application is made. 



Sec. 3. It shall.l)e the duty of Ihe judge of 

 probate on the receipt of the petition speci- 

 (ie<l in section two, of this act, to appoint 

 within ten days thereafter .a Avell known and 

 competent beekeeper of said county, as a 

 commissioner, who shall hold his ofUce dur- 

 ing the i)leasure of said court; and a recoid 

 of such order of appointment, and revoca- 

 tion, when revoked, shall be filed as a part 

 of the records of said court. 



Sec. 4. It shall be the duty of said com- 

 missioner, within ten days of his appoint- 

 ment as aforesaid, to file his acceptance of 

 the same with the court from which he re- 

 ceived his appointment. 



Sec. 5. Upon complaint of any two bee- 



keepers of said county in writing and on oathj 

 to said covumissioner, setting forth tliat said 

 <lisease exists, or that they have good reason 

 to l)elieve it exists within said county, desig- 

 nating the apiary or apiaries wherein tliey be- 

 lieve it to be, it shall become tlie duty of tlie 

 commissioner, to whom such complaint is 

 delivered, to i)roceed without unnecessary 

 delay to examine the bees so designated, and 

 if he shall become satisfied that any colony 

 or colonies of said bees are diseased with 

 foul brood, he shall without further disturb- 

 ance to said l)ees, fix some distinguishing 

 mark upon each liive. wherein exists said 

 foul brood, and immediately notify the person 

 to whom said bees belong, i)ersonally or by 

 leaving a written notice at his place of resi- 

 dence, if he be a resident of such county, and 

 if such owner be a non resident of such 

 county, then by leaving the same with the pei-- 

 son in charge of such bees, requiring said 

 person, within five days, Sundays excepted, 

 from the date of said notice, to effectually 

 remove or destroy said hives, together with 

 tlieir entire contents, by burying them or by 

 fire. 



Sec. G. It any person neglects to destroy or 

 cause to be destroyed said liives and their con- 

 tents In manner as described in section five, 

 after due notification, lie shall l)e deemed guilty 

 of a misdemeanor, and punislicd liv a fine not 

 to exceed fifty dollars lor llic liisi oiVence, and 

 for each additional oflpnccJH' shall lie liable to 

 a fine not to exceed onehundrc'd dollars, at the 

 discretion of the court; and any justice of 

 the peace of the township where said bees 

 exist shall have jurisdiction thereof. 



Sec. 7. The commissioner shall be allowed 

 for services under this act. two dollars for 

 each full day, and one dollar for each half 

 day. the account to be audited by the board 

 of supervisors. 



Sec. 8. In all suits and prosecutions under*k 

 this act, it shall be necessary to prove that ?1n»- 

 said l)ees were actually diseased or infected 

 with foul brood. 



Mr. Chas. Dadant of Hamilton, 

 Hancock Co., 111., writes : 



To detect adulteration of bees- 

 wax, dilute water and alcohol in a 

 vial, about three-fourths of water, 

 one-fourth alcohol. Then put in 

 the vial, a small piece of wax 

 which you know to be pure, and 

 add more alcohol if the wax goes 

 to the bottom ; or more water if it 

 floats, until you have given to the 

 mixture the same specific gravity 

 as that of the wax. The wax will 

 then remain floating inside the 

 liquid. Your testing apparatus is 

 now ready. If you have wax with 

 tallow, or paraffine, and put a 

 small piece of it in the vial, it will 

 remain at the top of the liquid, 

 the specific gravity of tallow and 

 paraffine being less than the mix- 

 ture. If it contains rosin it will 



