676 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Aug. 



In regard to this I will say, were this form of the 

 diseased brood present in our own apiary wc should 

 expect about one-fourth of our brood-combs fit sub- 

 jects for the furnace. Whenever we have intro- 

 duced queens from foul-broody hives into other 

 colonies wc have yet discovered no instance where 

 they transmitted the disease. On the contrary, as 

 we should expect with foul brood, the larva? of said 

 queens are not as yet affected; but we have found, 

 and that to our sorrow, that honcu from diseased 

 colonies gives the disease. It is a well-known fact, 

 that bees from neighboring colonies intermingle to 

 some extent, and that, in consequence, some little 

 honey would be exchanged. Now, wherever we 

 have found one diseased colony in our apiary we 

 have invariably found four or five other diseased 

 colonies neighboring and adjacent to this one, 

 showing that the disease was transmitted by the 

 honey, and proving the old statement that foul 

 brood is a disease of the honey. 



Since our last report, several more eases of foul 

 brood have appeared in our apiary, and the number 

 of diseased combs now cremated in the boiler-fur- 

 nace is ISB. Whenever traces of the disease have 

 developed, the colonies so affected have been treat- 

 ed as described upon pages 610 and B30, just as soon 

 as discovered; no matter whether the colony was 

 so badly diseased as to emit the foul-brood odor at 

 the entrance, or so little affected as to reveal only 

 an occasional diseased cell, the manner of cure Avas 

 the same. 



Some have made an outcry against the seemingly 

 needless and wanton destruction of so many combs. 

 I shall have to reiterate that now frames of founda- 

 tion are not only cheap but safe; that, while we do 

 not decry the use of salicylic acid as a disinfectant 

 of foul brood, or the trying -out of the affected 

 combs, we do know that the absolute cremation and 

 destruction of eoml)s affected by foul brood is sure 

 to prevent the further spread of the disease from 

 said combs. Furthermore we can not afford to run 

 any risks by experimenting ui)on the more lenient 

 measures recommended for cure, when so many 

 colonies are at stake. 



I am glad to say, that, when the ai)iary was last 

 gone over, no trace of the disease appeared. If it 

 shall not again break out, then we shall feel that 

 we have employed the cheapest way of fighting the 

 disease, and that there is nothing like " nipjiing it in 

 the bud." But, hold! a prominent bee-keeper and 

 apicultural writer has just written us, expressing 

 his regrets that the dreaded foul Tbrood has at last 

 visited us. He says, " I am very, very sorry to hear 

 that you have foul brood in your apiary, knowing 

 as I do what a teri'ible thing it is." In si)ite of all the 

 skill he could bring to bear he has had fully 7.5 cases 

 during this and the previous season, and, as a mat- 

 ter of coui'se, he has had to discontinue the sale of 

 bees, as we have done. Surely, there are not many 

 crumbs of comfort in this for us. If, however, wc 

 shall cure the further ravages of foul brood, and 

 thereby be enabled to instruct our fellow bee-keep- 

 ers how to detect the presence of the disease, and 

 how to cure it without the usual sacrifice, we shall 

 feel ourselves amply repaid; and instead of a mis- 

 fortune, a visitation of the all-seeing Providence. 



SHALL WE PURCHASE SUCiAll OH CHEAP HONEY 

 TO FEED OUn BEES THIS FALL? 



This is a question that has been asked many 

 times; and many, no doubt, since this matter of 

 foul brood hag come up, have (Jecicled in favor of 



the sugar. As already stated, we feel pretty cer- 

 tain that the disease oiiginated in our apiary from 

 honey that wc purchased. We can assign no oth- 

 er reasonable cause. I was talking with a bee- 

 man who made us a visit the other day, and who 

 said that he had intended this fall to buy cheap 

 honey and feed it to his bees; but that, since we 

 had come out so frankly, stating the probable 

 cause, he had decided to feed sugar. No, sir; we 

 may talk about feeding bees their own "pure 

 sweets," the folly of purchasing sugar at the ex- 

 pense of the honey-trade, and all that sort of thing; 

 but if we purchase cheap honey of a doubtful 

 or unknown source, we are running a risk. It is 

 true, we may boil all such honey to kill any possi- 

 ble germs of the latent disease; but that would be 

 attended with some little expense. ()t course, if 

 you have honey of your own raising that you know 

 is good, that is another matter; but if you pur- 

 chase honey to sell again, store it away where the 

 bees can by no possible means get a taste of it. 



SENDING FOUL BROOD BY MAIL FOR PURPOSES OF 

 EXAMINATION. 



At different times we have had samples of affect- 

 ed brood sent us for our examination, accompanied 

 by a letter of inquiry as to whether the sample was 

 a i-eal case of foul brood. While in our individual 

 case we do not fear any infection to our bees (as 

 immediately after examination we always " hist" it 

 into the boiler-furnace), yet, in the minds of all 

 carefully disposed bee-keepers, we think the practice 

 in general would be condemned. Some one less 

 careful, and not knowing the real danger, might do 

 our fraternity a vast deal of harm. This would ap- 

 ply to the one sending the specimen, as well. If I 

 am correct, Prof. Cook, in his books, has cautioned 

 his readers against sending such samples by mail. 

 If any of j-ou have a great curiosity to see and !<mcll 

 foul brood, you had better be content with what 

 you can gain from the pens of others less fortunate, 

 or you will think it is a real case where " ignorance 

 is bliss 'tis folly to be wise." Ernest. 



TAUTa OF 57 ACRES, 



AND APIARY OF OVER 100 COLONIES 



OF* BSSS FOR SilZ^Z:. 

 16tfdb GEO. A. WEIGHT, GLENWOOD, SUSft. CO., PA. 



FOR SALE. 



One Barnes combined circular and scroll saw, size 

 of table, ;J6xB6, including 13 circular saws from 3 to 

 8 inch; 11 scroll saws; '.J mandrels: one (5 in. emery 

 wheel; 1 cutter-head; 1 saw-set; all in good run- 

 ning order, except some of the saws may want 

 filing. Will sell the above machine with all the at- 

 tachments for $3.5.00 cash, delivered on cars, which 

 is about half price. 



Address S.H.WINCHESTER, 

 I6d Elmore, Peoria Co., III. 



prepareIorwTnterT 



We have uncqualed facilities for manulacturing 

 the Root chaff' hive at a great reduction fro7n ruling 

 prices. Mr. Zeno Doty, Grafton, Neb., writes July 

 nth, "Your material, make, and price is far better 

 than I can got anywhere else. Send for price list 

 and special prices for this fall. - lOtfdb 



A. F. S TA UFFER & CO., Sterli n g, Ills. 



"Crkn Qolck COLONIES, NUCLEI, and QUEENS, 

 r VI OdlC. AT LOWEST PRICES. 



n-ltklb GEO. D. EAUDENBUSH, EEADINQ, PA. 



ADANT'S FOUNDATION PACTOBT, WHOLESALE AND 

 fiSTAIL. See advortiseme^^t in another column. 



D 



