Sept. 15. 1911 



567 



tee. Wm. A. Selser, reported the bill given 

 below. Four years and two years ago sim- 

 ilar bills were ridiculed and laughed down 

 by the legislators. This time there was a 

 more concerted action among the bee-keep- 

 ers, and the bill became a law without a 

 struggle. Every member of tlie association 

 was notified to write his representative, and 

 the committee personally went among the 

 members and interviewed them. 



AN ACT 



T(i suiiplcnipnt an act piissed by the General Assembly, and ap- 

 proved Mareh Slst. 190.5. entitled. ' An act to pjovide for the 

 l)iotection of trees, shrubs, vines, and plants ag-ainst de- 

 .vtruetive insects and diseases: providing- fur the enforce- 

 ment of this act and the expenses I'onnected therew itii. and 

 fixing- penalties for its violation; " to provide for the inspec- 

 tion of apiaries, and tor the suppression of eontagrious or in- 

 fectious diseases among: bees, and making: appropriati<iu 

 therefor. 



Sec. 1. Be It enacted, etc., that on and after the 

 pa.ssace of this act It shall be unlawful for any per- 

 son or firm or corporation to have or keeyj in its 

 posses.sion or in any apiary any colony of bees in- 

 fected by the disease known as American or Euro- 

 pean foul brood, or by any other disease which is 

 contasious or infectioii.s in its nature, and injuri- 

 ous to honey-bees in their ege, larval, pupal, or 

 adult stage: and any jjerson or firm or corporation 

 so having in his or their keeping, or in his or their 

 possession, any colony of bees infected, after notice 

 of the existence of such disease has been given as 

 hereinafter jjrovided. shall be liable to a fine of 

 twent.v-tive dollars, to be impo.sed and recovered as 

 hereinafter provided. 



.Sec. 2. It shall be the duty of any person, firm, or 

 corporation, in the State of Pennsylvania, engaged 

 in the rearing of queen-bees for sale, to have his or 

 their apiary inspected at least twice during eacli 

 summer: and it shall be unlawful toshii)from such 

 <iueen-bee-rearing apiaries any i)ackage or ijarcel 

 containing Queen-bees without having attached to 

 it a certificate from the Secretary of Agriculture, 

 giving the date of the last inspection, and contain- 

 ing the statement that the apiary in which such 

 queen-bees were reared was. at the time of such in- 

 spection, free from American or European foul 

 brood, or other discoverable contagious or infec- 

 tious disease. Any person violating the provisions 

 of this section shall be liable to a fine of fifty dol- 

 lars, to be imposed and recovered as hereinafter 

 provided. 



.Sec. 3. It shall be the duty of the Secretary of Ag- 

 riculture, through the Economic Zoologist, or such 

 other agent or agents as he may select, to investi- 

 gate or cause to be investigated all apiaries or oth- 

 er places where bees are kept or raised in Pennsyl- 

 vania: and to stud.y and investigate, or cause to be 

 .studied and investigated, all apiaries or other 

 places where bees are kept or raised in Pennsylva- 

 nia: and to study and investigate, or cause to be 

 studied and investigated, outbreaks of bee diseases 

 and other c jnditions unfavorable to development 

 of bees within the State. It shall also be the duty 

 of the Secretary of Agriculture to investigate all 

 complaints of the existence of disea.ses of any kind 

 in apiaries or other places where bees are kept, and 

 to cause inspection to be made at least twice in 

 each season, when requested by the owner, of api- 

 aries where ciueen-bees are kejjt for sale. It shall 

 further be the duty of said .Secretary of Agricul- 

 ture, wherever he finds any apiary, where queen- 

 bees are raised, free from foul brood or other dis- 

 coverable infectious or contagious di.seases. to fur- 

 nish the owner of such apiary with a certificate 

 stating that fact, and such certificate shall state 

 the date be.vond which it will not be effective. 



SEC 4. Whenever, in the course [of the inspec- 

 tions or investigations made or carried on. as pro- 

 vided in this act. by the .Secretary of A griculture or 

 tuider his direction, said .Secretary of Agriculture 

 shall become aware of the existence of American 

 or Euroiiean foul brood or other contagious dis- 

 eases in any apiary or colony of bees, it shall be his 

 duty to notify forthwith the owner or owners, or 

 manager, of such infected or diseased apiary or 

 colony of the character of the infection, and give 

 directions for the treatment, both with re.spect to 

 the manner of such treatment and the time within 

 which it shall be employed or applied, which time 

 shall not be more than eight days after the service 

 of the notice: and in case of doubt, where the pre.s- 



ence of disease is .suspected, btit can not be defi- 

 nitely determined because of the character of the 

 hives u.sed. .said Secretar.v of Agriculture may, at 

 his discretion, order any owner of bees in box hives 

 without movable frames to transfer such bees to 

 movable-frame hives, to facilitate Inspection and 

 supervision. It shall thereupon be the duty of the 

 owner, owners, or managers, upon whom such no- 

 tice and order is served, to comply with saifl no- 

 tices in all respects, within the time limited in said 

 notices: and any person receiving such directions 

 and notice, who neglects or refuses to comply with 

 the same, shall be liable to a fine of fift.v dollars, to 

 be imposed and recovered as hereinafter provided: 

 and it shall be lawful for the Secretary of Agricul- 

 ture to condemn and cause the destruction of such 

 diseased apiar.v or colony of bees, and all hives or 

 other appliances used in connection with the same: 

 and in case the .Secretary of Agriculture, or his 

 agent, is unable to agree with the owner of such 

 apiary, colon.v. or appliances as to the amount to 

 be paid for the same, three disinterested appraisers 

 shall be apiiointed — one by tlie Secretary of Agri- 

 culture or his agent : one by the owner, and the 

 third by the two so appointed, who shall, under 

 oath or affirmation, appraise such proiierty so 

 condemned, taking into consideration its actual 

 value and condition at the time of apprai.sement ; 

 and such appraised value shall be paid to the own- 

 er of such apiar.v. colony, or appliances by the .State 

 Treasurer, upon warrant of the Auditor General, 

 which shall be issued upon the presentation of 

 properly executed vouchers after the same have 

 been approved b.v the Secretarj' of Agriculture. 



.SEC -5. It shall be unlawful for an.v owner or oth- 

 er person having diseased bees or their larvae, or 

 infected hives or combs, or other appliances or 

 utensils for keeping bees, to expose, sell, barter, or 

 give away, or allow the same to be moved, until 

 after treatment is prescribed by the Secretary of 

 Agriculture or his agent, and the same has been 

 applied: and it shall be unlawful to expose, sell, 

 barter, or give awa.v such infected bees, larvee, 

 hives, or combs, or other apijliances. after treat- 

 ment, until such materials are declared safe, and 

 permission is given by the Secretary of Agriculture 

 for such removal. Any person violating any of the 

 provisions of this section shall be liable to a fine of 

 fifty dollars, to be Impo.sed and recovered as here- 

 inafter provided. 



Sec. fi. For the purpose of the investigations and 

 inspections specified in this act. and to enforce the 

 provisions of the same, the Secretary of Agriculture 

 or his agents shall have free entry upon or into any 

 apiary or premises where bees are kept, or where 

 infected hives or combs are liable to be stored: and 

 any interference with, or obstruction made to pre- 

 vent, such entry, shall subject the offender to lia- 

 bilit.v of a fine of one hundred dollar.s. to be impos- 

 ed and recovered as hereinafter provided. 



Sec 7. Any person violating any of the provi- 

 sions of this act. upon conviction thereof before 

 any justice of the peace or alderman, shall be sen- 

 tenced to pa.v the costs of prosecution and to for- 

 feit and pay the fine provided for in the section vi- 

 olated : and. in default of the payment thereof, 

 shall be committed to and imprisoned in the coun- 

 ty jail of the proper county for a period not exceed- 

 ing one day for each dollar of the amount of the 

 fine imposed. All fines Imposed and recovered un- 

 der the provisions of this act shall be paid by the 

 justice of the peace or aldenuan. before whom the 

 conviction is had. to the Secretary of Agriculture 

 or his agent, and by him immediately conveyed 

 into the State Treasury. 



Sec 8. Appropriations of the amount necessar.v 

 for carrying out the provisions of this bill shall be 

 made by the General Assembly of the State, at the 

 time of making appropriations for the general ex- 

 penses of the Department of Agriculture. 



Approved the oth day of May, 1911. 



John k. Tenek. 



The foregoing is a true and correct copy of the 

 Act of the General Assembly. No. 140. 



Robert McAfee, 

 Secretary of the Commonwealth. 



Geo. H. Rea gave several demonstrations 

 on handling bees in practical work, and in 

 apiary inspection. 



Wm. A. Selser showed how to handle bees 

 for exhibition. This was amusing for the 

 audience. In order to be successful it is 



