SKI'TRMBER 1, 1910 



that liold the screi'ii on the cage, aiul at 

 the same time hold down the screen with 

 my left thumb. With a sm.all spoon in my 

 light hand 1 scrape out of one of the 

 combs a spoonful of the bees' own warm 

 honey. 1 let the queen crawl out of the 

 cage and daub her as she comes out Avith 

 the wai'm honey, bits of wax and all, and 

 let her roll down between the frames, put 

 on cover and the job is done. 



1 introduce the new queen innnediately 



after tlie old (|ueen is removed. It makes 

 no difference whether the new ({ueen is a 

 virgin or a laying c}ueen, nor does it make 

 any difiPerence whether the colony has 

 cells or not. She is always accepted. 



The new queen is thoroly daul)ed with 

 their own honey; and after tliey gel hei- 

 nicely cleaned off I isujjpose she has the 

 same odor. Anyway she is always accepted. 



T have just inti'odnccd twenty-six queens 

 without a mi.ss. 



Hornbrook, Cal. 



THE ADVICE OF JOB'S FRIENDS 



1!Y K. F. HOLTERMANN 



Wlien we look at the medical profession, 

 and tlie diversity of remedies they prescribe, 

 it doe> not seem out of place to lose all 

 faith in them. When we look at our apia- 

 rian doctors there a^jpears to be a similar 

 condition. Since my article appeared, ask- 

 ing for the advice of those who have cured 

 European foul brood much has been said in 

 Gleanings upon the subject, and the ex- 

 perience given differs widely. To this con- 

 clusion, however, 1 have come, that the 

 diversity of opinions and experiences ad- 

 vanced only go to prove that this disease 

 is a fit subject for investigation by Dr. 

 Phillips, of Washington. I have no doubt 

 that, with the financial help he has, and the 

 natural ability he possesses as an investiga- 

 toi', he is in jjosition to solve the problems 

 involved, and leave the apicultural world 

 tlie riclier for his investigations. The work 

 he has done in connection with the winter- 

 ing of bees has proven this. 



Let me make an apology for saying any- 

 thing which would justify any flippant re- 

 marks about Job. We are so much given 

 to imitation that the name Job is used in a 

 way it should not be. Few of us (I am 

 not) are wortliy to be compared to this 

 man, and his life teaches us that God in 

 wisdom allowed certain things, many things, 

 to come into his life to make him under- 

 stand himself better and know God better. 

 Tlie climax is reached in that passage, " I 

 have heard of thee by the hearing of the 

 ear; but now mine eye seeth thee. Where- 

 foi'e I ablior myself." 



In. the articles alieady refened to, and 

 out of which I am to find such consolation 

 and edification, we find a very great differ- 

 ence. We have on the one hand almost 

 nothing done; then the removal of tlie 

 queen, and, in the crse of George H. Rea, 

 page 273, the shaking of the combs. Mr. 

 Rea says, " If th' infecticni is general in 

 the apiary, wliicli is jiiobahle in an out- 



break of European foul brood, all colonies 

 are shaken in order to run no risk on those 

 tliat do not show it," etc. This view rather 

 agrees with Avliat 1 think ought to be done 

 to deal with the disease in anything like a 

 scientific way. My oi)inion still is that all 

 diseased brood should be removed from the 

 bees to jirevent their contact with the germs 

 in clearing the dead larvae from the cells. 



However, I have received some valuable 

 and kindly advice from beekeepers not at 

 all agreeing with Mr. Rea and myself; and 

 there is such a great saving from shaking 

 and melting combs thaf I shall likely follow 

 that plan if the disease shows up in many 

 colonies. If only a few show disease I shall 

 continue to remove all diseased brood from 

 the hives. 



As to Italianizing, that had already been 

 done, aiming at getting diseass-resisting 

 strains, as, for some years, owing to the 

 prevalence of the disease, 1 ha\e been ex- 

 pecting to have to battle with it sooner or 

 later. I still consider the conflict in which 

 1 am eligaged cjuite as serious as I expect- 

 ed. It is no child's play with seven apiaries 

 of more than 700 colonies, and the disease 

 found in almost every apiary. 



Among the communications I'eceived is 

 one from P. W. Stahlman, West Berne, N. 

 Y. As Mr. Stahlman writes in a very 

 catchy way, driving his points home, I shall 

 be pardoned for using his own words. The 

 letter, dated Eel). 8, 191(5, is as follows: 



I am not writing for any bee journal; but 

 when I read your article I could not help 

 feeling that 1 might assist you inatorially in 

 your work with the disease; and what I am 

 giving to you I give free-handed, as I have 

 always considered your writings well worth 

 reading, as they come direct from the shoul- 

 der, and from an experienced beekeeper. 

 Mr. Crane tells you the shiftless beekeepers 

 may well regard this disc.Tse as a serious 

 matter if not an actual calamity. I say 

 allien to that. 



