46 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



Mar. 



brood lias, and does cause disease, 

 I believe that wherever life exists 

 there also will be found the elements 

 which will under certain conditions 

 cause death. It is now a generally 

 accepted theory that nearly all, if not 

 quite all of- the diseases animal life ts 

 subject to, is due to living organisms. 

 It is a scientific fact I believe that 

 these organisms —disease germs —are 

 everywhere present, and only require 

 congenial surroundings to develop 

 and multiply. We are told that the 

 spores of foul brood may float in the 

 air, and be carried by this means over 

 vast areas, and be quite harmless, until 

 they happen to get into their proper 

 element, when the disease developes 

 in a very short time, In strong 

 healthy animals there is a something 

 that is destructive to disease germs, 

 but should the system become weak- 

 ened, their vitality lowered by any 

 means, they become at once an easy 

 prey to such germs. Now any existing 

 condition that would cause brood to 

 die in the hive would be unhealthy, 

 and would therefore lower the vitality 

 of the bees. Dead and decaying 

 larvse would also be a very unhealthy 

 condition of things — in fact, just 

 what we must suppose the proper con- 

 dition needed for the development of 

 disease. To bear out what I advance, 

 I have known what was strictly scald- 

 ed brood, in the first place pronounced 

 foul brood, and the colony (Italians), 

 condemned by an English expert on 

 foul brood. He positively declared 

 that whatever originated it, it was 

 foul brood when he examined 

 it, and that was ten days or 

 a fortnight after the brood die- 

 ing. I could mention several cases 

 all confirming and determining me 



in my opinion, but I do not think 

 it necessary just now, as I am only 

 giving my opinion for what it is 

 worth. I think, however, on the 

 whole, that the side I have taken is 

 the most feasible one. 



P. S.— Since writing the above, 1 

 notice Mrs. J. Atchley, In reply to 

 Mr. MeEvoy, has an article on the 

 above in the A. B. J., for Nov. 2nd. 

 Mrs. Atchley is I think inclined to be 

 dogmatic in a great deal what she 

 says, and I consider it shows a very 

 bad feature in a controversialist by 

 stating that "if she did know more 

 she would hardly be allowed the 

 honours, as she is only a woman." 

 This is certainly not argument, aud 

 although she makes a positive asser- 

 tion to the contrary, she does not 

 prove that dead brood is not often the 

 indirect cause of foul brood.— Aus- 

 tralian Bee Bulletin. 



The subscription price of The 

 American Bee-Keeper with some 

 of the leading literary magazines is as 

 follows: With the Century Maga- 

 zine, $4.00; Scribners, $3.00; Cosmo- 

 politan, $1.75; Demorests, $2.00; New 

 England Magazine, $3.00; Godey's, 

 $3.00; Calif ornian, $3.00; Peterson's, 

 $1.25; Lippincott's, $3.00; and with 

 any other whose subscription price is 

 not less than $2.50 at the price of the 

 magazine alone. 



The W. T. Falconer M'f'g Co., —Dear 



Sirs : 1 received my extra light brood 



foundation all in good time, and can say 



that it was the most perfect I had ever had. 



Yours truly, Fred H. Holden. 



Bellows Tails, Vt., Eeb. 10, 1894. 



