so as to be always ready for an emer- 

 gency ; also a druggist's ounce glass, so 

 that I may know what I am doing. My 

 food was honey, with about I4 weight of 

 water added. But we may feed honey 

 or sugar syrup, adding to every quart of 

 feed an ounce of the above mixture. 

 Bees being without comb and brood, 

 partake of it readilv, and by the time 

 their comb foundation is built out, you 

 will find your colony in a healthy and 

 prosperous condition. 



Thus you see foul brood can be rooted 

 out completely, and without an extra 

 amount of trouble, provided you are 

 sufficiently impressed with its danger- 

 ous, insidious character, and are pre- 

 pared to meet it promptly on its first 

 appearance. 



When an atomizer is used on combs 

 and larva?, the medicine should be only 

 half as strong as given in the formula. 



In answer to a question, Mr. Muth 

 gave it as his opinion that foul brood is 

 imported into this country, and not of 

 American origin. 



Mr. Boardman differed with Mr. 

 Muth ; he is satisfied he contracted one 

 case of it, which he cured by destroying 

 the combs and putting the bees in a new 

 hive, after which he sprinkled them 

 thoroughly with carbolic acid. 



In answer to the question, whether 

 foul brood existed in this country prior 

 to the importation of foreign bees, Mr. 

 Muth said he did not know. 



T. F. Bingham, Michigan, said foul 

 brood existed in this country previous 

 to the importation of Italian bees. 



Dr. Brown, Georgia, said the late Mr. 

 Quinby mentioned foul brood before im- 

 portations had been made from Italy. 



After some further discussion on the 

 subject, Mr. Bingham stated that foul 

 brood emitted a very strong and disa- 

 greeable smell. After the death of the 

 young bee, the mass becomes very pu- 

 trid and ropy in attempting to remove 

 it from the cell, thereby making it im- 

 possible for the bees to clean out the 

 combs. Mr. Bingham then moved a 

 vote of thanks to Mr. Muth for his val- 

 uable discovery, which was carried. 



The following paper was then read by 

 the Secretary : 



Apii'iiltural Failures. 



I recognize such a factor as "luck" in 

 every branch of business. By " luck," we 

 mean, circumstances and conditions materi- 

 ally affecting our successes, and over which 

 we have no control. Outside of this class 

 of conditions, there are a vast number over 

 which we can exert more or less influence. 

 What we know about these conditions is 

 called science. As we are learning more 

 and more day by day, science is expanding 

 and the domain of luck contracting, each 



day. Still I may say that there will always 

 he enough of the uncontrollable, called 

 " luck," to make or break the wisest of busi- 

 ness men. Every bee-keeper no doubt, has 

 had a taste of both good and bad " luck." 



The judicious business man of any calling 

 makes the very best of it in either case. 

 When " luck " favors with good weather and 

 a consequent large yield of boney, then is 

 the time to exert ourselves and see how 

 large we can make it. "When you have help 

 is the time to pitch in," is the old adage. 



When you get a good crop, do not come to 

 the conclusion that " bees work for nothing 

 and board themselves," and rush it into the 

 market early and all at once, thus bearing 

 the price down to a much less figure than 

 you can produce it, in an average season. 

 Do not do this, for we do not want to lose 

 your company so soon. Remember such 

 seasons as 1809 and 1880, when thousands of 

 colonies come home to board. 



Last October and November white comb 

 honey in sections, sold in Chicago at 12>£e.; 

 four months later it sold at 18 to 20c. for the 

 same. By that time the glut in the market 

 was over. Indiscretion on the pait of pro- 

 ducers brought about that condition of 

 things. Honey is nota perishable commodity 

 but on the contrary can be kept from year 

 to year. When it is below the cost of pro- 

 duction there will surely come a correspond- 

 ing reaction in prices. Hold for tliat time, 

 in which case you will help to hasten it. 



To succeed in any pursuit it is of vast im- 

 portance to have a mind clear of super- 

 stition, to the end that we may " see things 

 as they am," as Billings puts it. Our 

 writers of "gush," looking at one side of 

 the picture, tell us that all that is needed is 

 a little capital, a few new ideas, and then 

 fix up the hives (chaff hives) and put on the 

 boxes (prize boxes) and go about your busi- 

 ness (not bee business) and in the fall take 

 off a few tons of honey and its all (most all) 

 clear gain. Just so. 



But that does not equal agriculture. All 

 one has to do, to raise corn, is to buy some 

 cheap land, just skip over it with a plow, 

 then drop in the seed, and may be tickle it 

 once or twice with a lioe, and it grows itself 

 (nights, Sundays and all, rain or shine) 

 and all you have to do is to step out in the 

 beautiful autumn, and glean the golden ears, 

 which always bring cash. Like the hod- 

 carrier, who said, all he had to do was to 

 carry a little mud up a ladder; " the men 

 up there did all the work." 



When we compare the price of honey 

 with the price of bees, we come to the con- 

 clusion that something besides bees is 

 requisite in the accumulation of a honey 

 crop. Yes sir, a clear head, lots of nerve, 

 close attention to details, and a disposition 

 and ability to do hard work, are all required 

 to succeed in this business. May I not add, 

 to succeed in making merely a living at it? 



A large majority fail, who attempt bee- 

 keeping, and many more would, were it not 

 for the fact of some profits gained by help- 

 ing others on to the royal goal. Whoever 

 heard of anyone buying out an apiary com- 

 plete. Could I have made such a purchase 

 twelve years ago (I mean have bought out 

 an apiary complete, one up to the highest 

 standard of that day) I need not to-day care 



