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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 



everywhere, and that it wants only a favorable op- 

 portunity to break out in any apiary. Friend R., if 

 the people were to stick to the old idea about this 

 disease, you would be sure to suffer, and unjustly 

 too. How? Why. in this way: Say you effectually 

 rid your apiary of the disease, and sold some bees 

 to a party who had never had or seen any of the 

 disease in his locality; and in that year there is a 

 honey-dearth, and only a little inferior honey-dew 

 is to be had in his neighborhood, in which case he 

 is apt to have the disease, as anybody is with such 

 a honey resource; nevertheless, he would blame 

 you for it, and so would all others who hold a like 

 view of tlie disease. 



I can not afford the time it takes to write up this 

 subject, and I would not have commenced it yet 

 awhile, but 1 thought it might benefit you, and no 

 doubt it would if you would only believe in it. 

 There is one thing- of which I am certain; and that 

 is, that it will benefit you in the future. 



Mobile, Ala., Sept. 33, 18^6. Geo. H. Hovle. 



Friend II., although I can not entirely 

 iisree with yon in regard to the origin of 

 this disease,^ it occ\u-s to me to mention a 

 few facts favoring your position. You know 

 we have for some time been searching to 

 find whether blight and similar troubles in 

 the vegetable world are caused by disease or 

 by an insect-enemy. Well, for some time it 

 has been supposed that blight in celery 

 was produced by an insect, because this in- 

 sect was found on the plant when the blight 

 appeared; but Mr. Ravvson, in his recent 

 work (jn celery culture, says he can not agree 

 that the insect is the cause. lie says the 

 cause is mainly want of watei', as the celery 

 is a water-plaiit, and many others have de- 

 cided the same way. The blight may, how- 

 ever, be produced by an cxress of water, and 

 the cause he gives is, lack of vitality in the 

 plant caused by either extreme— too much or 

 too little water. Now, the reason why cer- 

 tain parties think the insect is the cause, is 

 because it is a fact that the insect makes its 

 appearance about as soon as the blight 

 starts ; but he says the insect simply fol- 

 lows, and has notliing to do with the origin 

 of the trouble. You know this has been 

 decided to be the case with the moth-miller ; 

 and even now, where modern bee culture 

 has not shed its light, there are people to be 

 found who think that the moth killed their 

 bees. Refer Henderson recommends, as the 

 best remedy against the attack of all insect 

 enemies, making the plant push ahead with 

 such vigor that it lives in spite of the in- 

 sects. Who has not noticed how the bugs 

 will pitch into a feeble squash-vine, letting 

 the rank, strong - growing plants almost 

 alone ? And so it is with most of the in- 

 sect-enemies of the vegetable kingdom. Now, 

 then, can it be true that the spores of this 

 disease, foul brood, get a foothold oidy 

 where the l)rood is in a favorable state, froni 

 some of the causes you mention V In that 

 case, powerful colonies would be found less 

 affected than the others, would they not V 

 J Jut, if I am correct, facts do not corroborate 

 this. Am I not right V It is possible, how- 

 ever, that all the colonies in the apiary, 

 strong and weak alike, gather something 

 that is injurious to the brood, or enfeebles 

 it, and, as a consequence, foul brood gets a 



foothold ; but the facts, so far as I am ac- 

 quainted with the disease, are, that certain 

 localities are absolutely free from it; but 

 when it once gets established in these locali- 

 ties, it seems to l)e hanging about almost 

 ever afterward. 



AATHAT AlliS THE BEES? 



I.S IT A POISON, OR IS IT A DISEASE ? 



fRlEND ROOT:— With your permission I will 

 tell my tale of woe. I had fifteen good strong- 

 colonies when swarming- time was over. They 

 did very badly as to honey-gathering. It 

 rained all the spring-. They could gather only 

 enough honey to raise brood. Out of the 14 colonies, 

 I have not taken 10 lbs. of honey About three 

 weeks sine?, my bees began to die. I could find a 

 few dead bees around the entrance for several days, 

 then they began to die by the thousands. In the 

 morning I could scrape up a pint on the alighting- 

 boards. I had only two colonies affected bt^dly. I 

 sulphured them, and the rest have nearly or quite 

 quit dying. When they were at their worst they 

 would come out of the hive pellmell, sputter around 

 on the ground, and "pass in their checks." Well, 

 I will tell you I was in trouble. I read my ABC, 

 got an armful of Gleanings, and read nearly all 

 night, trying to make it out foul brood, but gave up 

 in despair and did not make it out at all. Can it be 

 something that they get that poisons them, or is it 

 some disease ? It is not foul brood, as it is the old 

 bees that die, and not the brood, as the combs are 

 clean and nice; but the quantity of dead bees cre- 

 ated such a horrid stench I was sure it was foul 

 brood for a while. Well, it is not on account of 

 ijuecns, as some die at all the hives, and I have 

 several (juecns I bought this year, some from Lou- 

 isiana and Noi-th Carolina, and one from Thomas 

 Horn; and a few die at all of these, but not many. 

 You can put me in Blasted Hopes if you please, but 

 I am sure it is all for the best, though I can't see 

 where it comes in. I am discouraged, but will keep 

 on trying another year, if the Lord wills it. 

 Loudon, Tenn., Sept. 33, 1886. W. K. James. 



To be sure, it is not foul brood, friend .J., 

 and I am inclined to think that, from your 

 description, it is no disease at all, but that 

 tliey have found something that poisons 

 them. I judge so, from the sudden way in 

 which they began to die in such numbers, 

 and from the fact that it is mostly contined 

 to 2 colonies. Hasn't some one near you left 

 Paris green about where it might get mixed 

 with something sweet ? Or, has not some 

 V)oison, witli an admixture of sweet, beei) 

 left around where the bees can get at it V 

 We have had a few such reports before, but 

 I believe we never found out just how it 

 came about. I would by no means sulphur 

 the bees under such circumstances, for thi^ 

 can accomplish no more than killing the 

 queen. Jf I had such a case I would confine 

 the bees to their hive, and feed them on su- 

 gar syrup. If that stopped it, I should be 

 sure that it was caused by something they 

 gathered. Under some circumstances it 

 might be well to take all other combs and 

 give them new combs, and feed as above. I 

 think this would surely stop it. and you 

 would save your bees, 



