130 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [P. D. 4. 



much time as is warranted to general assistance of the bee- 

 keepers, aside from strictly disease problems. 'Such service has 

 been offered even more this year than heretofore. Some might 

 claim that general instruction takes time which should be used 

 for disease suppression, yet in the long run it will be found 

 that the time thus spent will earn large interest. 



Brood diseases, particularly European foul brood, is the sad- 

 dest side of beekeeping; without question it has gathered the 

 heaviest toll from the apiarists. Fortunately, however, it can 

 be checked — held at bay. The apiarist can keep at work de- 

 spite the infection if he will attend to business. The general 

 suppression, accomplished elsewhere in the country, is fast be- 

 ing realized in Massachusetts. 



Each year, when new territory is inspected for the first time, 

 or in localities where apiarists are not particular in keeping up 

 the standard of their stock and maintaining freedom from in- 

 fection, there is an increase in the number of apiaries which 

 have had to be quarantined. This year the number was 255, 

 which is slightly in excess of the figure for previous years; yet 

 this does not represent the status of the disease situation as 

 adequately as the figures below, wherein the numbers of in- 

 fected colonies are presented. A large number of these apiarists 

 have treated the disease and have been released, — in all, 201, 

 — which includes 5 apiaries held in quarantine from the pre- 

 vious year. The next season, however, will show 94^ apiaries 

 held in quarantine, either for failure to complete instructions; 

 inability or disinclination to follow the recommendations of the 

 inspectors, in a word, delinquents; or, in a few instances, where 

 funds have not enabled revisitation for the purpose of pro- 

 nouncing the apiary freed from infection. 



American Foul Brood. — American foul brood, once prevalent 

 in the State, has largely passed, so that only occasionally are 

 colonies found to-day. This year American foul brood infec- 

 tion totaled 80 against 104 colonies the year previous and 121 

 colonies in 1914. This is a relatively constant annual decline 

 of from 17 to 24 colonies per year, respectively. 



European Foul Brood. — By far the greatest percentage of 

 brood diseases encountered in Massachusetts is European foul 



1 Fifty-four of which were quarantined in 1916, and 40 previously. 



