THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



151 



Prior to their time we read of Aristom- 

 achus of Soli in Ciliciii, who spent fifty 

 eight years in the contemplation of bees; 

 and of Philiscus the Thusian who spent so 

 great portion of his time in the woods, in 

 pursuit of the same object, as to have ac- 

 quired the name of Agrius. Both of these 

 great bee-masters left behind them in 

 writing, the results of their experiments 

 and observations; but the original works 

 have been long buried iu oblivion. How- 

 ever small the contribution of knowledge 

 which we have derived from these ancient 

 worthies, they must have greatly aided the 

 progress of their favorite science, and are 

 at all events evidences of the zeal with 

 which the study of bees was prosecuted in 

 their day. 



About three hundred years after the 

 time at which Aristotle wrote, his obser- 

 vations on the honey-bee were "embellish- 

 ed, and invested with a species of divinity, 

 by the matchless pen of Virgil," in his 

 fourth Georgic, 35 B. C; and it excites 

 feelings of regret, that poetry, which for 

 its beauty and elegance is so universally 

 admired, should be the vehicle of opin- 

 ions that are founded in error. 



Wm. Carr. 



Newton Heath Apiary, near Manchester, 

 England. 



m • m — 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Disease of the Bee. 



I am verymucli interested in the Amer- 

 ican Bee Journal, and, in fact, anything 

 pertaining to the bee. I wish to state my 

 experience and my belief as to what 

 causes the bee disease. I think that cold 

 is the cause. I have not seen anything of 

 it this winter, because it has been general- 

 ly warm. But years before, I have no- 

 ticed that those in coldest parts of my 

 cellar, where the thermometer would 

 mark^S^ or" 30 '^ , would be sure to have 

 the disease; while those sitting in the 

 center, and directly under my kitchen, 

 would be dry and entirely free from it. / 

 would advise all to throw away straw 

 mats, bed quilts, comforters, and every 

 thing of that sort, for I have tried them, 

 rfbd find an inch board better than all. 

 Just loosen the board from the frames 

 when you set the bees in the cellar, and 

 that is ventilation enough, if your cellar 

 is at the right temperature, from 44 ° or 

 54°. 



I think bee-keepers go too much on 

 foolish patents. Such things all cost 

 money, besides being in the way a good 

 part of the time. I use an oyster can, 

 opened on the side, and find it just as 

 good as any patent feeder I ever used. I 

 put pine splints in for floats to keep the 

 bees out of the honey or syrup, and they 

 will take out every particle of it. 



One of my neighbors was troubled with 



bee disease, but it was as cold as 30 ° in 

 his cellar. Gold causes the disease. He 

 bought his bees of me, and they were in 

 as good condition as my own when he 

 put them in his cellar. 1 set my bees all 

 out by tlie 10th of March, and they had a 

 good fly; they are in splendid condition; 

 they cover from six to twelve frames. 



From 100 swarms put in the cellar last 

 fall, I found four good swarms queenless, 

 (they were very late queens, and had only 

 just commenced laying when I put them 

 in) and one nucleus, smothered through my 

 own carelessness. 



My bees are all in the cellar at the pres- 

 ent time of writing, and the weather bids 

 fair for them to remain there two or three 

 weeks yet. Mrs. D. M. Hall. 



Rock Co., Wis., April 2d, 1876. 



For the American Bee Journal. 

 Salicylic Acid for the Cure of Foul 

 Brood. 



Since the publication of my note on 

 Salicylic acid, as a cure for foul brood, in 

 the January number of the Journal, I 

 have received a report of the meeting of 

 the National Bee-keepers' Society of Ger- 

 many, held at Strasburg, which contains 

 a very long report of Mr. Hilbert on the 

 above subject. Mr. H. stands high in the 

 estimation of German apiarists, and as 

 his report gives a better and fuller account 

 of the manner of using the acid, I have 

 condensed his report, and give the same 

 for the benefit of those that wish to try 

 the remedy. Mr. H. has cured twenty -five 

 stands by this method, and his patron, the 

 Count Kolourat, known througli his im- 

 portation and trial of Cyprian and Egyp- 

 tian bees, has in like manner cured sixty- 

 five stands. The directions of Mr. H. are 

 as follows: 



Dissolve the crystalized acid in eight 

 times its weight of alcohol. Four limes 

 the amount would do to dissolve the 

 acid, but then it would flake when mixed 

 with water. More than eight limes as 

 much alcohol would be injurious to the 

 unsealed brood. This solution is called 

 the alcoholic solution. 



For the disinfection of combs, frames, 

 and hives, use but thirty-two drops of the 

 alcoholic solution for one ounce of water; 

 mix well by shaking. This water should 

 not be too warm, nor less than 60 degrees 

 Fahrenheit, else the solution will flake. 



For tlie disinfection of hives and comb, 

 use an atomizer. Keep the brood warm ; 

 disinfect the hive first, and hang in the 

 brood as soon as disinfected. Reduce the 

 hive to the smallest limits; remove sur- 

 plus honey after disinfecting it with the 

 atomizer. Before doing this, however, all 

 sealed foul broody cells must first be 

 treated with a mixture of eqtutl parts of 

 . the alcoholic solution and warm water. 



