1905 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1175 



toward the yellow would not lower the 

 standard. But when we get away from the 

 three bands toward the yellow, don't we 

 have a grade just as much as when we 

 get toward the black? The question is, 

 ■' What does he consider the standard ? and 

 if three bands, then how are we to tell the 

 three bands ? " for he knocks out the ABC 

 test, but gives us nothing else in place of it. 

 [I do not think there are many authorities 

 who will agree with friend Doolittle in his 

 statement concerning Italian bees and what 

 constitutes their purity, if I understand his 



Eosition. The average Italians are three- 

 anded, and, so far as I have obperved. just 

 as fixed as any other race of bees. Why ! 

 Carniolans sport to yellow in their native 

 land, I am told. There are a few types 

 among Italians that will sport toward four 

 and five bands, and some that will show only 

 two bands distinctlv, the third being visible 

 only when the bee is filled with honey. 

 The fact that four and five banded bees, if 

 left alone, will gravitate back to three 

 bands shows that such marking is the nor- 

 mal type. Another fact is, that one and 

 two banded bees are generally cross, and 

 show more or less of the characteristic of 

 the German or black race. As stated at 

 the outset I am not entirely sure that I dis- 

 agree with Mr. Doolittle, for, like yourself, 

 I do not quite know where he stands; but 

 from certain of his former articles I have 

 gathered the opinion that he does not con- 

 sider the Italians a pure race, and that they 

 have no fixed type. If that is his opinion, 

 then I think the majority of the bee-keepers 

 of the country will disagree with him. —Ed.] 



Bee Keepino IN theSolthwest 



BY LOUIS H.SCHDLL COLLEGE STATION TEXAS 



FOUL BROOD TO BE ERADICATED FROM 

 TEXAS. 



In the twenty-eighth General Assembly of 

 Texas, Hon. Hal. Sevier introduced a bill 

 known as House Bill No. 293, "An act to 

 provide for the protection of honey-bees 

 against foul brood, etc." A copy of this 

 law was given on page 469 of Gleanings. 

 This became a law March 30, 1903. It was 

 put in charge of the State Entomologist; but 

 as no appropriations were made for execut- 

 ing this law it could not be operated during 

 the last two years. The last General As- 

 sembly, however, appropriated $800 a year. 

 This law became effective September 1, 

 1905. For a number of years other States 

 were provided with inspection laws and in- 

 spection oflRcers to protect the fruit and 

 agricultural interests of their States. Tex- 

 as had no such provision until Septem- 

 ber 1, when both these laws were put into 



operation, the nursery-inspection law being 

 in charge of the Commissioner of Agricul- 

 ture, while the foul-brood law was placed in 

 charge of the State Entomologist. All bee- 

 keepers of the State are earnestly requested 

 to co-operate with the State Entomologist, 

 Prof. Albert F. Conradi, by making known 

 to him all known or suspected cases of foul 

 brood or other contagious bee diseases. 

 Prof. Conradi has the interests of the bee- 

 keepers at heart, and is determined to use 

 the foul-brood law to the best possible ad- 

 vantage in ridding Texas of this scourge. 

 It is present in but few localities in the 

 State yet; and, if properly taken in hand, I 

 believe it can soon be stamped out. This 

 done, and further introduction prevented, 

 the Texans can boast of their State being 

 free of foul brood. 



Such rules and regulations will be publish- 

 ed for operating this law as to render it the 

 most effective. Very frequently persons 

 are inclined to look upon an inspection law 

 as a necessary evil. This is far from being 

 true if the law is operated in a proper man- 

 ner; and with the co-operation of the bee- 

 keepers of the State a great amount of good 

 can be accomplished toward the eradication 

 of foul brood, the most virulent of bee-dis- 

 eases, which occurs in a number of localities 

 in Texas. 



ADDRESS THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



All communications regarding matter per- 

 taining to foul brood should be addressed, 

 State Entomologist, College Station, Texas, 

 and not to members of the office staff; for 

 if such a member should be absent, reply to 

 the communication would be delayed. This 

 is very important. Telegrams and letters 

 addressed to a member of the staff have 

 been received at times when they were 

 away, and no action could be taken on the 

 matters in question. As the Entomologist 

 has no authority to open communications of 

 this kind, no immediate attention could be giv- 

 en. Therefore, please remember to address 

 all official mail to the State Entomologist, 

 because when he leaves the office there is an 

 arrangement with the clerk to open all such 

 mail and take such action as may be neces- 

 sary. To any letters addressed to the office 

 staff, the State Entomologist will not be re- 

 sponsible for immediate attention. 



A NOTE OF WARNING. 



Bees must be inspected before being 

 brought into the State of Texas. At this 

 time inquiries are received at the office of 

 the State Entomologist from parties outside 

 of Texas, requesting permission to ship their 

 bees into the State for the purpose of es- 

 tablishing apiaries in Southwest Texas. All 

 bee-keepers of the State are urged to read 

 Section 4 of the Texas foul-brood law, which 

 provides that no bee-keeper shall "barter or 

 give away any diseased colonies of bees, 

 honey or appliances, nor expose any other 

 bees to the danger of infection of foul brood. 

 Bee-keepers acquainted with the conditions 

 of Southwest Texas should be convinced of 

 the extreme danger connected with such a 



