1898 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



585 



it a few days, and that will be sufficient. If 

 you can not find foul brood in your hives in 

 the second catch of brood hatched, draft on 

 me. First National Bank of Van Alstyne, for 

 $5.00. J. F. Teei,. 



Elmont, Tex. 



[I do not think there will be very many, 

 friend Teel, who will want to try your experi- 

 ment. We'd rather accept your word for it. 



A knowledge of how the disease may be 

 produced may be helpful in showing how a 

 cure may be effected. It would certainly 

 point out one of the means for prevention. 



I will explain that friend Teel wrote us, 

 some time ago, stating that foul brood would 

 develop from dead brood. I understood him 

 to mean that such brood would invariably de- 

 velop the disease. I accordingly wrote him 

 that that could not be true ; for corn could not 

 grow where none was planted, and that dis- 

 ease could not be generated unless the mi- 

 crobes were already in the body ; that spon- 

 taneous generation was an exploded theory. 

 It now appears from the article above that 

 friend Teel accepts all this, but takes the 

 ground that foul-brood germs reside in all 

 healthy bees, and that, under favoring condi- 

 tions, they will develop, and cause what is 

 known as " foul brood." This mayor may 

 not be true. 



We know that, when a person is all "run 

 down," he is much more liable to have an at- 

 tack of typhoid fever or some other infectious 

 disease than one who is in perfect health. 

 Indeed, I believe that, if one is perfectly 

 healthy, he will be able to resist almost any 

 contagious disease. 



Referring to Teel's theory I should rather 

 take this view of the matter : That the Bacil- 

 lus alvei germs (foul brood) may or may not 

 be present in the yard. If the brood is allow- 

 ed to die, and it is subjected to treatment like 

 that described above, these floating germs by 

 some means might find lodgment in the dead 

 tissue ; if so, then foul brood will develop ; 

 but if they are not present, then the dead 

 brood simply dries up and does no more harm 

 thaq so much inanimate matter. This, I 

 think, accords with the theories of our best 

 physicians and scientists. — Ed.] 



Every bee-keeper in the world should get 

 one of Dr. Howard's books on foul brood, as 

 well as the very valuable one that you are 

 getting out. Wm. McEvoy. 



Woodburn, Ont., Can. 



FOUL BROOD. 



Mr. E. R. Root:— Your letter of July 5, 

 with reference to the foul-brood pamphlet 

 which you are getting out, was received, and 

 the proof carefully read. Your pamphlets 

 will be of great value to the bee-keepers of 

 every land, and all who keep bees or ever 

 intend to do so should get one just as soon as 

 they are out. 



I am pleased to learn that you are going to 

 publish in the same pamphlet a copy of the 

 Wisconsin foul-brood law, which was prepared 

 by Mr. N. E. France, of Platteville, Wis. It 

 is perfect in every respect, and is by far the 

 best in the world. It was through a recom- 

 mendation from Mr. Hutchinson that I was 

 chosen by the New Jersey State Board of 

 Agriculture to write that article for their foul- 

 brood bulletin. 



LARGB AND SMALL HIVES; SECTION-HOLD- 

 ERS PREFERRED TO T SUPERS; PLAIN 

 SECTIONS TOO LIGHT IN WEIGHT. 



Our climate here in Arkansas is quite differ- 

 ent from that of Ohio or New York. Our 

 seasons are much longer, but the flow is not 

 so great. Our greatest flow is about the 20th 

 of May. 



As to hives and inside fixtures I have tried 

 several different kinds — the little box, the big 

 box, the tall box, the low box, the lying-down, 

 or long-idea hive, and the old-fashioned Arm- 

 strong and L. hive; and, last, the eight-frame 

 Dovetail hive, which I have adopted entirely, 

 as the size is better adapted to our seasons and 

 climates than the larger ones. 



Four or five years ago I commenced with 

 about ten box hives, and purchased a few of 

 your Dovetailed hives equipped with the Hoff- 

 man self-spacing brood-frames, with section- 

 holders, using I'^xl^ sections, and I found 

 them to be just the thing. I have now 80 

 hives of that pattern; after using several other 

 kinds of super arrangements, including the 

 famous T super, I can say this, that Dr. Mil- 

 ler and his followers can have all the T su- 

 pers, as I would not use them when, in my 

 judgment, the section-holder arrangements 

 are so far ahead. 



Now as to fence separators and plain sec- 

 tions, I am trying them this season, and can 

 say they have not proved satisfactory. Some 

 claim they do away with pop-holes, or bee- 

 ways, in the corner ; with me it is very differ- 

 ent. The holes are there just the same, and 

 do not hold out in weight, as I have some 

 well-filled ones that weigh from 14 to 15 oz., 

 while the 4!/(xl"s weigh from 15^ to 16}4 

 oz., which gives better satisfaction in the 

 market. However, I shall try them more 

 fully before I pass the death-sentence. Mr. 

 Pettit's idea of perforated dividers, or separat- 

 ors, described on page 47 of January 15th 

 Gleanings, is just my idea. It gives better- 

 filled sections, and gives freer passage for the 

 bees; and I am sure those who use them 

 would be willing to pay a little more for 

 them. Harry Hawkins. 



Van Duzen, Ark. 



[I saw a plain section at a restaurant in 

 Cleveland that had corner holes in it just the 

 same as the old style. On the other hand, I 

 have seen plain sections that had no corner 

 holes. During this year of scant nectar sup- 

 ply, it woiild not be surprising if the sections 

 should not be filled out as full as on years 

 when the supply is plenteous. That might 

 account for your plain sections being under 

 weight. But even if it did not, the tendency 

 in nearly all markets is for still lower weights; 

 and in Canada they want a section, I believe, 

 that runs not over 12 ounces ; and I notice 

 there is a tendency toward a similar weight in 

 this country. There was a time when sections 



