124 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



It should not be considered that all Italian races are equally 

 resistant to European foul brood. There is a preference. It is 

 the beekeeper's duty tq select resistant strains and to propagate 

 them. Resistance to disease should not be the only factor, but 

 the beekeeper should also seek productiveness. 



With the treatment of European foul brood by the dequeen- 

 ing and requeening process, which in most instances is now 

 advised, the productiveness of the colony is less interfered 

 with. By this method, European foul brood may be suppressed, 

 and the crop of extracted honey produced at the same time. 

 It can hardly be expected that colonies under treatment are 

 in condition for comb honey production, however. 



It has been found necessary for the inspectors to treat and 

 destroy very few colonies. The smallest number in years, — 

 11 colonies, — was destroyed. The inspectors, however, have 

 treated, or assisted in treating, a considerable number of col- 

 onies as demonstrations. 



Loss OF Bees through Spray Poison. 

 Very little information or complaint has reached the writer 

 during the past season of the loss of bees through spra}^ poisons. 

 In previous years considerable loss has been alleged. It is 

 hoped that the user of poisonous spray mixtures has learned to 

 spray his trees when they are not in bloom, and to be cautious 

 about letting spray mixtures drift and fall upon clover or other 

 blossoms of small plants and bushes, which may be adjacent to 

 the trees being sprayed, and which may be visited by bees for 

 nectar. Inspectors are ever alert to assist the beekeeper and 

 his neighboring orchardists in securing a proper understanding 

 of the time and way to spray. 



Winter Losses. 

 One of the most severe, intense and protracted winters 

 which history records was experienced in 1917-18. Not only 

 was the cold intense, but it was continued. Were it within 

 the province of this report to review the meteorological 

 records, some interesting data in relationship to the winter 

 mortality would be expressed. The winter losses in 914 api- 

 aries amounted to 57 per cent of the number of colonies the 



