May 23, 1907 



433 



American Me Journalj^y^^^^^fcj 



the weather, and my best colonies 

 usually swarm about June 1st. 



I^ast fall Dr. Miller told a questioner 

 that he would expect a colony fed on 

 thin sugar syrup as late as Sept. 1, to 

 die from dysentery before spring. 

 Now, Doctor, my bees are always fed 

 all the sugar syrup they need — half 

 sugar and half water, mind you — a//er 

 Sept. 20. Ivast fall I finished feeding 

 Oct. 1, and there is no trace of dysen- 

 tery in any of my hives this spring. Is 

 this a matter of locality ? 



We are having a late, cold spring, 



snow storms and freezing weather right 

 along. It is now May 1, and the ice is 

 still in the lakes. I took my bees out 

 of the cellar on April 18. We had sev- 

 eral warm days so that I could examine 

 all colonies, but since then it has been 

 very cold. Bees are shut in their hives 

 as in winter. I do not expect that they 

 will get any pollen for 10 days yet. 

 Most years they bring both pollen and 

 honey from the willows before this 

 time. But a beekeeper must live in 

 hopes. 



Detroit, Minn., May 1. 



Conducted by Lonis H. Scholl, New Braunsfels, Tex. 



Melilotus— Annual and Biennial 



E. E. Hasty asks, "Am I right that 

 the genus Melilotus (like Trifolium) 

 has both biennial and annual mem- 

 bers ?" 



Yes ; we have them here in Texas ! 

 There are only a few of them, how- 

 ever, but enough to answer our ques- 

 tion. Meliioius Indica, All., is an an- 

 nual, quite abundant hereabouts, and 

 with yellow blossoms resembling very 

 much the cultivated yellow sweet clo- 

 ver, M. officinalis, which latter, how- 

 ever, differs from the first named, in 

 that it grows somewhat larger and 

 longer (both ways) ; that is, it is a 

 biennial. 



We also have !\f. alba ; escaped and 

 sparsely planted here and there, mostly 

 by bee-keepers, on waste land and 

 along fences. The climate, which, with 

 its long, d>y summers, seems not to 

 suit the melilotus very well, is one 

 cause why it is not more abundant. 



There is considerable of white sweet 

 clover in North Texas. Bees are in 

 some seasons busy only on M. Indica, 

 but always visit the other two — white 

 and yellow. 



The Texas Foul-Brood Law 



Since the many discussions on foul- 

 brood legislation and foul-brood laws, 

 of which quite a number have been 

 in print of other States, I have been 

 requested to give our State law in the 

 American Bee Journal. One reason 

 for the request is that many bee-keep- 

 ers are not acquainted with our foul- 

 brood law, never having obtained a 

 copy of it ; and, secondly, to answer 

 several questions in regard to "the 

 workings " of our law. 



There seems to be a question exist- 

 ing in the minds of quite a few who 

 know of it, or suspect foul brood in 

 some apiary, whether such knowledge 

 must be reported to the State Ento- 



mologist. There are some apiarists 

 who have had foul brood in their api- 

 aries, but who kept it a secret with the 

 intention of eradicating it themselves, 

 only to have to report some time later, 

 and often a great "mess" had been 

 made of the whole apiary. In my in- 

 spection work several such cases came 

 under my notice. The pride of the 

 owner or possessor of the bees seems 

 to be the cause of such procedure. It 

 should not be done ! 



The first step should be to inform 

 the State Entomologist if there be any 

 trouble or any suspicion. Such re- 

 ports are strictly private matters, and 

 kept on file as such in his office. If the 

 apiarist is not certain whether it is 

 foul brood or not, a sample of the dis- 

 eased brood should be sent to the State 

 Entomologist, but directions for send- 

 ing such sample should always first be 

 obtained from the State Entomologist, 

 who will give these in all cases, and 

 send proper mailing packages. 



Never try to treat infected colonies 

 unless you have had experience in such 

 work, and then report the case to the 

 Entomologist at College Station, Tex., 

 before doing so. If without this ex- 

 perience, let "the inspector "do the 

 work for you. He will know how, and 

 will save you much trouble, worry, atid 

 bees. 



The common notion that an inspector 

 should be feared instead of trusted, 

 should be out of existence by this time, 

 for the inspector is there to look after 

 your interests, hence should be given 

 all assistance necessary. 



The following rules and regulations 

 have been formulated by the State En- 

 tomologist for operating the Texas 

 foul-brood law, and should be observed: 



1. If any owner of, or any person having 

 control of, honey-bees in the State of Texas 

 knows or suspects that any bees so owned or 

 controlled are affected by foul brood or any 

 other contagious hee-disease, he shall report 

 said fact to the State Entomologist in writ- 

 ing, staling the uuGQberof apiaries involved, 

 the number of colonies in each apiary, and 



the number of colonies that are known or 

 suspected to lie Infested with foul brood or 

 other contagious bee-diseases. 



2. Any owner or person bavlDg control of 

 bees reporting Infection, shall state the 

 number of movable-frame hives in each api- 

 ary, also the number of box-hives, or such 

 hives as will not admit of ready examination. 



:i. If any bees are kept In box-hives, or 

 such other hives as will not admit of ready 

 examination, the owner or person In charge 

 will be notified by the State Entomologist to 

 transfer all bees in the apiary to movable- 

 frame hives, or such as will admit of as ready 

 examination as any good modern frame hive, 

 before a speeitled time. If for any good rea- 

 son such a time Is detrimental to the apiaries 

 Involved, the reason should be transmitted in 

 writing to the State Entomologist, where- 

 upon a date more agreeable to the owner or 

 person in charge may be arranged for. In 

 default of such transfer as above provided 

 for, the case will be treated according to Sec- 

 tions 1 and 2 of the Texas Foul Brood Law. 



4. When, upon inspection, an apiary is 

 found to be infested, instructions for treat- 

 ment will be prescribed by the State Ento- 

 mologist. If the owner or person in charge 

 fails to carry out such instructions, the Slate 

 Entomologist, or his assistant, will give the 

 necessary treatment at the expense of the 

 owner, as provided for in Section 3 of the 

 Texas Foul lirood Law. Every person who 

 intends to barter, give way or receive bees, 

 honey or appliahces, should make certain 

 that no infection is carried in such transac- 

 tions or shipments. Where any doubt exists 

 application should be made to the State En- 

 tomologist for inspecting the apiaries in- 

 volved. Persons violating the provisions of 

 this rule are deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, 

 and upon conviction thereof shall be fined in 

 any sum not exceeding .*300, as provided for 

 in Section 4 of the Texas Foul Brood Law. 



The following is the text of the 



Texas Foul Brood Law. 



An Act to provide for the protection of 

 honey-bees against foul brood and other con- 

 tagious diseases, and providing that all bee- 

 keepers report to the State Entomologist 

 when infectious diseases exist; providing for 

 collecting the expense of eradicating the dis- 

 ease, and fixing the charges upon the owner 

 of the bees; providing tor the extermination 

 of all contagious diseases, and providing pen- 

 alties for the violation of this Act. 



Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of 

 Texas : 



Section 1.— If any owner of, or any person 

 having control or possession of any honey- 

 bees in this State, knows that any bees so 

 owned or controlled are affected with foul 

 brood, or any other contagious disease, it 

 shall be and hereby is made his duty to at 

 once report said fact to the State Entomolo- 

 gist, setting out in his report all the facts 

 known with reference to said infection. The 

 State Entomologist shall have full power in 

 his discretion to order any owner or posses- 

 sor of bees not dwelling in hives with mov- 

 able frames, or not permitting of ready ex- 

 amination, to transfer such bees to a movable- 

 frame hive within a specified time. In default 

 of such transfer, the State Entomologist may 

 destroy, or order destroyed, such hives, to- 

 gether with the honey, combs, frames and 

 bees contained therein without recompense to 

 the owner, lessee or agent thereof. 



Sec. 2.— The State Entomologist shall pre- 

 scribe such rules and regulations as may in 

 his judgment seem necessary tor the eradica- 

 tion of all contagious diseases of bees, and if 

 at any time the Entomologist finds, or has 

 reason to believe, that the owner or keeper of 

 any bees, or the owner of any apiary has re- 

 fused, or is refusing to comply with all 

 or part of any such regulations, then and 

 in that event the State Entomologist is 

 hereby authorized to inspect said bees, and if 

 necessary burn diseased colonies, appliances 

 and honey, and do any and all things neces- 

 sary in the premises to eradicate foul brood or 

 any other infeotiousdiseaseof bees. 



Sec. 3. — When any owner or possessor of 



