174 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



this matter with true spirit and an 

 unflinching hand. About three 

 hundred names have been handed 

 in. There should be at least one 

 thousand with which to organize, 

 the more the better. Then let each 

 and every one of us make manifest 

 our assistance by sending in our 

 names and we shall soon reap the 

 benefits. 

 3Icinlms, N. Y., July 18, 1884. 



FOUL BROOD. 



By Henry Alley. 



Reports of the spread of this 

 dread and destructive disease are 

 coming in from many sections of 

 the country. I have nothing new 

 to otfer as to its cause or cure, but 

 write to make a few cautionary 

 suggestions which may check its 

 spread somewhat. 



The readers of some of the west- 

 ern bee journals will remember the 

 controvers}^ carried on last winter 

 concerning this disease, and bring 

 to mind a certain firm who dealt in 

 it. Notwithstanding the fact that 

 this firm was proved guilty of ma- 

 liciously sending out colonies badly 

 diseased, and the fact being known 

 to some of the editors of those 

 journals, they still continue to in- 

 sert their advertisements, and the 

 same party quite likely continue 

 to deal out to the unsuspecting- 

 customer, goods of the same class 

 that have proved so destructive 

 the past two years. 



Who can estimate the damnge 

 that has been done to the apiaries 



of this country by the distribution 

 of three hundred colonies of bees 

 infected with foul brood? These 

 bees mostly went into the hands 

 of those unacquainted with this 

 disease and its very contagious 

 effects. Either these bees were sold 

 on account of their diseased condi- 

 tion, as they would certainly have 

 died on the owners' hands in a short 

 time, or else the dealers were igno- 

 rant of the nature of foul brood, 

 and in either case the result is the 

 same to those who purchase the 

 bees. 



Now, if the bees sent out b}' that 

 firm this season are as badly dis- 

 eased as those sent out by them 

 last year, who should be held re- 

 sponsible for the damage? the 

 dealer, or those Avho did the ad- 

 vertising? 



It strikes me that the proprietors 

 of these bee journals ought to be 

 held responsible, justly, if not 

 legally. 



In my opinion, no man dealing 

 in bees and supplies should be 

 permitted to insert an advertise- 

 ment offering them for sale, until 

 his apiar}^ has been inspected by a 

 competent person to ascertain 

 whether his bees are in a healthy 

 condition, free from all diseases, 

 and the supplies he oflTers for sale 

 are all he claims for them. 



This inspector should be ap- 

 pointed by the local state or by the 

 national associations. When a 

 dealer sends his "ad" to a paper, it 

 should be accompanied by the 

 certificate of the person appointed 

 to inspect his apiary and goods. 



By adopting the above plan, the 



