THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



219 



different methods by which a cure 

 is said liave been effected by differ- 

 ent parties. Enough of it can be 

 found in the back numbers of our 

 bee journals and in every bee book 

 of late. Suffice it to say that the 

 genuine foul brood or the malignant 

 type of the disease spreads b}' 

 spores, and that salicylic acid des- 

 troys those spores whenever brought 

 in contact therewith. Consequenth^ 

 salicylic acid will rid a colony of 

 bees of foul brood if properly ap- 

 plied. But this proper application 

 is not an easy job. It requires en- 

 erg}', skill and experience, virtues 

 not possessed b^' everybody ; and if 

 half a dozen or more men fail to 

 effect a cure, their failure should be 

 no criterion. I have succeeded in a 

 large number of cases and dare say 

 that not many of my friends would 

 have subjected themselves to the 

 same amount of labor and expense 

 I did, to accomplish the object. 

 The observations and treatises of 

 Dr. Schoenfeld, Emil Hilbert and 

 others, as published in the German 

 bee journals, were my basis ; and, 

 with my present experience, I dare 

 say that there is no better remedy 

 known and none as simple as or 

 more effective than my modus oper- 

 andi given on page 20 of my pam- 

 phlet, " Practical Hints, " and pub- 

 lished in every one of our bee 

 journals. 



However, I should not apply the 

 same remedy in every instance. 

 While it is to be recommended he- 

 fore the honey season commences, 

 at the close of and after the same, 

 I should use the new remedy I shall 

 describe below during the season. 



A spraying with the atomizer may 

 be the most practical in another in- 

 stance, when the disease first makes 

 its appearance and only a few 

 cells are affected. I do not mean 

 to say " when the disease is first 

 discovered." Brimstone in man}' 

 cases is the best and cheapest rem- 

 edy. But brimstoning as well as 

 every other treatment requires 

 promptness and dispatch unless 

 one does not care if he sacrifice 

 also the balance of his bees or those 

 of his neighbors. Just as certain 

 as you postpone the finishing of the 

 job to the next day, just as certain 

 do you stand the chance of having 

 the disease spread by visiting bees. 

 Last summer (1883) I made a 

 discovery which may prove to be 

 of the greatest value to our aflflicted 

 brethren. During the honey sea- 

 son, I found foul brood in a strong 

 colony with a valuable queen. 

 Brimstone was the first idea that 

 presented itself. But upon second 

 thought I proceeded as follows : 

 the combs of the second story 

 were extracted and rendered into 

 wax, frames burned up and the 

 bees confined to the lower story or 

 brood chamber. When I examined 

 them again about two and one-half 

 weeks afterwards, every comb was 

 full of capped honey and every 

 mark of foul brood covered up. All 

 the brood remaining was perhaps 

 45-50 square inches in two combs 

 which looked healthy. I then gave 

 the bees a clean hive and ten new 

 combs. They are now a prosper- 

 ous colony. The old combs were ex- 

 tracted at once and shared the same 

 fate as their predecessors of the 



