216 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



out ever having been heated to the 

 boiling point, or having remained at 

 that temperature for two or three 

 hours. May it not be that the heating 

 of the wax at two distinct times renders 

 the spores harmless ? The wax is melted 

 and " rendered " from the combs and 

 caked, then shipped to the foundation 

 maker who melts it at least once, often 

 more, when dipping into sheets for foun- 

 dation. Possibly the greater specific 

 gravity of the germs, as suggested, may 

 cause them to settle to the bottom of 

 the wax, where, coming in contact with 

 the water always used in melting, the 

 germ would be very soon destroyed, if 

 Mr. Corneil's theory of dry vs. moist 

 heat be true. 



I should like the length of vitality of 

 the spores when immersed in boiling 

 water, tested to determine the truth of 

 this theory. Mr. Mackenzie has prom- 

 ised us more light upon several points in 

 consideration of this subject, after 

 another season's work, when doubtless 

 many of these doubtful points will be 

 cleared up. 



Referring, to the starvation method of 

 cure, as used by Mr. McEvoy and others, 

 Mr. Mackenzie says: "If this is com- 

 bined with a removal to absolutely clean 

 hives with new foundation, it may suc- 

 ceed ; but I must say that absolute 

 cleanliness in this respect must be in- 

 sisted upon." 



That the extreme virulence of the dis- 

 ease is recognized, is apparent from the 

 above statement, which is again re- 

 peated in another form in another pas- 

 sage. Without doubt many cases of so- 

 called spontaneous generation could be 

 traced to uncleanness or carelessness in 

 treating the disease. 



It was found that the spores of foul 

 brood could not be destroyed by the use 

 of antiseptics of the strength advised by 

 Cheshire and others, but the chemicals 

 prevented the further' growth or spread 

 of the disease. May this not be valua- 

 ble, as teaching us to combine with the 

 starvation method of cure the feeding of 

 medicated syrup to prevent the germina- 

 tion and growth of the spores until the 

 bees can cleanse themselves from all 

 traces of the disease ? This was, I 

 think, the method used by Mr. A. I. 

 Root in curing the disease in his apiary. 



Prof. Mackenzie considers the possi- 

 bility that there may be a diiference in 

 the power of individual bees to resist the 

 .disease. Now it seems to me he is mis- 

 taken in thinking that the presence of 

 the germs of the disease in tiio intesti- 

 nal canal of mature bees is evidence 

 that the bees themselves are diseased. 



As I understand it, the disease is of the 

 brood, and the germs are found in ma- 

 ture bees only when carried there in 

 their food, or in the attempt to clean 

 out the filth from the cells, and never 

 affects the blood or organs of the mature 

 bee ; hence, these mature bees do not 

 resist the disease. 



New, and I doubt not effectual, agents 

 for cleansing hives, etc., in connection 

 with hot water, are suggested. They 

 are soft soap and washing soda, in a 

 very strong solution. 



While I express the hope that these 

 experiments may be continued under the 

 same competent worker, I cannot but 

 regret that these United States of Amer- 

 ica cannot do as much as is Canada, for 

 her bee-keeping interests ; and that we 

 cannot send a bacteriologist, chemist, 

 botanist, and other scientists to the 

 apiary, hand in hand with the practical 

 bee-keeper, there to work out together 

 these many problems waiting to be 

 solved. * 



Larrabee's Point, Vt. 



i'V»'K.''\.^\./X.i 



Do not write anything^ for publication 

 on the same sheet of paper witn business 

 matters, unless It can be torn apart without 

 interfering with either part of the letter. 



Bees All Right in the Cellar. 



My bees are all right in the cellar. I 

 am 73 years old, and like bee-keeping 

 as well as ever. My bees did very well 

 last summer. D. P. Shiglet. 



Mankato, Minn., Jan. 31, 1893. 



Seem to be Wintering: Well. 



We have had a cold winter here up to 

 this time. My bees are wintering on the 

 summer stands, and seem to be doing 

 very well. There was very little swarm- 

 ing the past season, but the hives were 

 full of bees in the fall, and they looked 

 large, plump, and healthy. I like to 

 read the reports from the brethren in 

 the Bee Journal. J. T. Higqins. 



Bethany, Mo., Feb. 4, 1893. 



