114 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



(13 one way and 45 the other); of these, something more than 

 50 cells were sacbrood, or about 8 per cent. 



These two cases show a variation of infection within a colony 

 and even within a given comb. The next case is more detailed. 



Case 3, June 29, 1915.— \ block of cells 20 by 40, or in all 

 800 cells, was selected from the center of the brood nest of the 

 colony. 



Table 2. — The Ratio of Sacbrood to Normal Brood in a Colony. 



Total number of cells, 800 



Number of empty cells or cells with honey, 98 



Balance, cells of brood, 702 



Cells of healthy larvae, or eggs, 330 



CeUs of sacbrood, 372 



Thus 53 per cent of the brood in this block was infected with 

 sacbrood. 



These figures show emphatically how disastrous sacbrood 

 may be to a colony. It should not be allowed to continue. 

 The inspectors have emphasized the treatment of this disease 

 along with the disease known as foul brood, because beekeepers 

 are inclined to neglect considering sacbrood as a hindrance to 

 the prosperity of their apiaries. 



Bee Disease Investigations. 



The apiary inspection will materially benefit, it is hoped, by 

 the investigations in bee diseases, particularly European foul 

 brood, which are to be carried on by the experiment station. 

 The experiment station appointed Arnold P. Sturtevant to 

 its staff, beginning July 1, 1915. He has already made con- 

 siderable progress in the study of bee diseases, and it is hoped 

 that marked results will be forthcoming. Mr. Sturtevant is in 

 close co-operation with the State Inspector of Apiaries and the 

 beekeeping work at the Massachusetts Agricultural College. 

 His investigations in the pathology of bees are carried on in 

 the department of veterinary science. 



