180 



THE AMEUICAN APICULTUEIST. 



The beauty of the Syrians is 

 very attractive to the eye. I can- 

 not speak too highly of this race of 

 bees. They possess every desira- 

 ble qualit}', and the wonder is that 

 they are not more generally 

 adopted by beekeepers. We are 

 selling about as many S^a-ian 

 queens this season as Italians. 



Wenham, Mass. 



EDITORIAL. 



The matter with which the jour- 

 nal is filled this month is of vital 

 importance, and should command 

 the respectful consideration of 

 every thoughtful apiarist. It shows 

 that there is great need, of an im- 

 mediate and permanent reform in 

 our bee literature and beekeepers' 

 associations. We are not alone 

 in this, but find that the most 

 prominent and wisest apiarists in 

 America are with us. 



While our associations should 

 be the supreme authority upon all 

 matters pertaining to apiculture 

 and the interests of the community, 

 they are almost powerless as 

 regards coping with any evil that 

 threatens the welfare of beekeeping 

 and beekeepers. 



For instance, when we ask our 

 apiarists, what are the best means 

 for obtaining reliable . statistics of 

 the honey and honey market, Ave 

 do not receive very satisfactory 

 replies: and why? Simply be- 

 cause at present we have no relia- 

 ble means of ascertaining, and it 

 is a vexed question and a hard one 

 to solve. 



Again, last year at the N. E. B. 

 convention, we heard the low 

 threatening murmur of the coming 

 storm which should accompanj- 

 that dread scourge, "foul brood ;" 

 this has been echoed by other as- 

 sociations, and we find that the 

 Texas state association, in its late 

 convention, has followed in the 

 wake of Michigan and New 

 York state in adopting resolutions 

 to control and crush out this evil. 

 But why do not these associations 

 trace the origin of this disease, 

 and bring to light, and punish, 

 those who may either ignorantly or 

 intentionally spread it among the 

 apiaries of the beekeepers ? 



For instance, as Mr. Alley in 

 his article states — last year one 

 of the largest Western dealers, 

 either through intention or crimi- 

 nal ignorance spread the disease 

 of foul brood broadcast over our 

 countr}', and I saw and examined 

 a nucleus which came from his 

 apiary, and it was infected with 

 malignant "foul brood." This has 

 been discussed in one of our 

 Journals, and laid one side, but 

 the work is not finished. Next 

 season the cries of the victims will 

 better tell how much harm has 

 been done. This party sent us an 

 advertisement to place in the Ap- 

 icuLTiruiST, but we returned it, 

 stating that we could not give it 

 room until proof and evidence were 

 given us that their apiaries were 

 clear from foul brood. In reply 

 to this, we were threatened if we 

 should publish anything that 

 would injure their business, but 

 notwithstanding all this, other 



