1076 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



K. F. Holtermann and his helpers for 1916 standing in a field of alhils.e clovei- in full bloom. 



can't say I would. J can't say 1 would ad- ^ 

 vise any one to start in a small way rather 

 than with a large number of colonies. A 

 }Derson truly interested will find out the 

 proper manipult^tions and use them. I 

 would advise a year with a large producer, 

 if it is at all possible, and also work at a 

 school of apiculture. I Avould advise stand- 

 ard-sized hives and simple fixtures, not that 

 they are better, but because they are inter- 

 changeable with others you buy. Still, it 

 is not for me to advise too much, as I 

 ought first to make a success of bees. What 



bothers me is not what is paist but what I 

 shall do in the futui'e. Possibly this local- 

 ity will yield better in the future. I may 

 be too easily discouraged. Fanning is sure 

 to pay. Wouldn't it be better to take the 

 sure thing? 



I gave up some very desirable things to 

 get money to buy bees. I have spent six 

 years of the best part of my life preparing 

 to care for them. I spent a little sum of 

 monev that looks large now it is gone. 

 ShaUIgoon? Shall I take a chance? I 

 think I'll take a chance. 



Newton Falls, 0. 



SUGGESTED WAYS TO DETERMINE HOW EUROPEAN FOUL BROOD 



SPREADS 



BY R. F. HOLTERMANN 



It seems strange that European foul ■ 

 brood, which has worked such terrible havoc, 

 and with which beekeepers have come in 

 contact so long, should be such a mystery. 

 It is taken for granted that no one is going 

 to be foolish enough to say that European 

 foul brood is a boon to the country simply 

 because it is likely to wipe out the smaller 

 beekeepers. No objection can be found to 

 an honest representation of the industry ; 

 but I have seen many statements in the 

 press in our own country, giving the very 

 large amount of honey secured from colo- 

 nies. Those who were instrumental in cir- 



culating these reports howe\er were not 

 very energetic in telling of failures of crops 

 or of the many instances where men engag- 

 ed iu the business, owing to incompetence, 

 inexperience, unfavorable environment, or 

 adverse season, lost all they invested, nor 

 even how m.any in 1914 not only did not 

 make a dollar, but were obliged to spend a 

 lot of money to put their bees in shape for 

 the following winter. 



Recently I have given some thought to 

 the problem of finding out how European 

 foul brood spreads. It appears to be a 

 somewhat intricate question because of the 



