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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Apr. 1, 



become a matter of interest to us all to look well to the best 

 methods of furnishing the best means of supplying our bees 

 with pasturage for honey. I have no fears of failure in keep- 

 ing bees for profit, if we have plenty of pasturage for them to 

 work on. This can, in many ways, be supplied both by the 

 bee-keeper and many times by his neighbor ; and that, too, 

 with double profit to both. 



Fourth, This now brings me to the subject I most desire, 

 for the greatest good to the greatest number — that of proper 

 legislation by the law-making power of our State, to exempt 

 bees from taxation, in order that we may, as an organization, 

 try to induce more of our citizens to go into bee-keeping, at 

 least to keep a few colonies. It is a well-known fact, that at 

 the present time there is not one colony of bees kept in our 

 State where there were at least 50 colonies 40 years ago ; 

 neither is there one pound of honey or wax produced where 

 there were 50, years ago, by those of our primitive bee- 

 ktepers. 



I wish I could impress the idea upon this Association, of 

 the great importance of having a full and careful report of 

 the proceedings of this Assocation each year, so that they may 

 become of more interest to each and every bee-keeper of our 

 great State. 



It is a noted fact, as a practical illustration, that the 

 county of Clinton, now leads in our State the greatest number 

 of colonies of bees, there being within her borders 1,998, and 

 yet there were in the same county nearly 0,000 colonies in 

 1856. And in Ohio county there were, iu 1856, 1,239 colo- 

 nies ; at present only 19 L. So it is to-day In nearly all the 

 92 counties of our great agricultural State ; we find less than 

 a fourth as many colonies as were kept 40 and 50 years ago. 



I feel it my duty to inform you of the facts, and if possi- 

 ble let us all put our shoulders to the wheel, and try to correct 

 such mistakes by at least asking our law-making powers to 

 place all the bees of our State on the free list, so that all who 

 may wish to have few or many colonies may do so free of 

 taxation. This, to my mind, would be quite an encourage- 

 ment, or incentive, for all who may wish to start again, as 

 well as those of us who may wish to increase our depleted 

 apiaries, and thus materially aid our agricultural brethren, as 

 well as all who may be engaged in and are raising the various 

 fruits of the State. And thus we become mutual benefactors, 

 and greatly add to the material interest and wealth of all good 

 citizens of each community. J. M. Hicks. 



Proceedings of the Colorado State Bee- Keep- 

 ers' Couveutlou. 



REPORTED BY F. L. THOMPSON. 



[Continued from page 182.] 

 CARBOIJC ACID AND PINE TAR A CURE FOR FOUL BROOD. 



Some three years ago, after trying for two years or more 

 to gel rid of foul brood in my apiary, and using every remedy 

 that I then knew or could hear of, and haviug failed to suc- 

 ceed, I concluded to try what a number of people said was the 

 only sure cure. Accordingly, I supplied myself with a liberal 

 supply of sulphur and killed all my bees, and of course got rid 

 of all the foul brood — and bees also. I then gathered all the 

 dead bees together and cremated them. 



The following season I purchast new swarms, and put 

 them into new hives, and for two seasons was free from the 

 dreaded disease. About a year after killing my bees, I saw in 

 Gleanings in Bee-Culture, an item giving a remedy that was 

 copied from the Deutsche Imker, that imprest me as being 

 one worth trying. I lookt through Gleanings to find some 

 notice of It editorially, but found none; however, I made a 

 note of it, thinking if my bees were ever troubled with foul 

 brood again, I would try It. 



Last season the opportunity came, and I tried the cure, 

 and watcht Its results with a groat deal of Interest and satis- 

 faction. On examining my bees In May, I found four colonies 

 that were Infected with foul brood — two slightly, and two very 



badly. I immediately moved them out of the apiary some 30 

 rods, and began treating them, looking after them about twice 

 a week. After about three weeks the colonies that were 

 slightly infected only, seemed to be rid of foul brood, and were 

 strong ; and when the honey-flow commenced I put on the 

 supers, and they filled two each; and in the two badly in- 

 fected colonies, at the end of two months I was unable to find 

 a trace of disease, and they were very large, strong colonies. 

 I examined them carefully several times before the close of 

 the season. 



The remedy or cure is very easily applied, and is as fol- 

 lows : 



The pure carbolic acid one part, common pine tar one 

 part (or half and half) ; mix thoroughly. Get a shallow tin 

 box for each colony; with an awl perforate the cover in order 

 to let the odor escape ; put about two tablespoonfuls of the 

 mixture in it and place in tbe center of the hive, under the 

 frames, and if in three months the foul brood has not disap- 

 peared, renew it. This is the cure, and I believe it to be a 

 sure cure, from my experience. Col. Whipple. 



Mr. Adams — Liquid carbolic acid bought at the drug store 

 is anywhere from 35 to 90 per cent. pure. To get it pure, 

 buy the crystals and melt it, with a tablespoonful of water to 

 a pound of acid. I have used exactly the same ingredient 

 (with the addition of turpentine, which I think is an improve- 

 ment) as a disinfectant of chicken-houses, etc.; also when ex- 

 posed to diphtheria, with success. It never occurred to me 

 to apply it to foul brood, but I believe it would be a good 

 thing. 



Col. Whipple — The colonies treated are the strongest in 

 the yard. 



Mr. Rhodes — Sometimes the brood is dried up and covered 

 with honey, and the disease appears the next season. 



Col. Whipple — I examined just for that. I markt the in- 

 fected portions. 



Mr. Tracy — I have not tried carbolic acid as a remedy, as 

 it was claimed by Mr. Root to be ineffective. Why does Mr. 

 Root say there is no virtue in carbolic acid ? I have been 

 using carbolic acid as a preventive each spring for six years. 

 There was foul brood all around, up to within half a mile, but 

 I had none during that time. 



Col. Whipple — Mr. Root doesn't know everything ! It 

 takes a novice to try these things. 



Mr. Rhodes — But old, sealed honey keeps the disease. 

 The remedy does not lake out the foul brood which is dried at 

 the bottom of the cells. I have here a sample of comb brought 

 by the Secretary, in which you can see the foul brood dried at 

 the bottom of the cells. 



Col. Whipple — The remedy kills the germ — what differ- 

 ence does it make if it is covered up afterwards ? 



Mr. Adams — If it is covered up before the remedy is ap- 

 plied, the remedy cannot act. 



Mr. Rhodes— One must be cautious in trying such things, 

 and be sure to make good work. 



VicePres. Porter— Mr. Whipple did his work In a thor- 

 ough way. I askt him to preseut the matter; not that I 

 think it absolutely certain. I i.ever did have any faith in 

 " sprinkling ;" but this is different. 



Mrs. Booth— I shall try it, even if Mr. Whipple's bees do 

 have the foul brood again. 



Mr. Dudley — Our bee-keepers follow the plan of trans- 

 ferring to new hives and sheets of foundation. It is more 

 laborious, but has given good satisfaction. 



Col. Whipple— I tried the transferring plan, and took a 

 great deal of pains. Iu the fall of the year I found 10 or 12 

 colonies infected with foul brood. I tried it for two years and 

 did not succeed, then killed the bees. 



Mr. Brock — Were you near other apiaries where there was 

 foul brood ? 



Col. Whipple— I do not know. 



Mr. Brock — One season I transferred the whole yard, and 

 foul brood returned. I laid it to the surroundings. I trans- 

 ferred another time when there was no foul brood in reach, 

 and to-day those bees are in good condition. 



Col. Whipple— For two years after killing 1 had no foul 

 brood. Hence, there seems to have been no foul brood 

 around. 



H. Rauchfuss— It is not easy to keep foul-broody combs 

 away from bees. The best honey-house is not safe. You 

 might have got it that way. And then, it is said that the 

 germs float In the air. Even if the bees wore kept away, the 

 combs might bo a source of infection. 



Col. Whipple— I melted all my combs soon afterwards. 

 Mrs. Booth -^Cau honey be disinfected by boiling? I 

 burnt frames and combs; boiling the honey a long time, and 

 put some carbolic add In. Will this do to feed the bees ? 



