1904 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



11 



members before next National conven- 

 tion will be the result. 



The National is doinj;- a good work. 

 Every bee-keeper ought to belong to 

 it All within reach ought to belong 

 to the Chicago and Northwestern. I 

 live 163 miles from Chicago. 



I talked with several old experi- 

 enced bee-keepers who produce lots of 

 both comb and extracted honey and 

 they sell their honey both comb and 

 extracted for 20 cents per pound. Just 

 think of the help it is to talk with 

 such men and get pointers not only 

 on selling honey but how to produce 

 it. I noticed in particular that these 

 same men were at the convention last 

 year, and if they live they will be there 

 next year. 



There were samples of both comb 

 and extracted honey in different pack- 

 ages On exhibition from which we 

 might gain many ' valuable pointers. 

 Also there were sample combs of foul 

 brood with Inspectors France, Smith 

 and Hutchinson to kindly give us in- 

 formation so that we might be enabled 

 to detect it easily. President Geo. W. 

 York, Vice-President Mrs. Stowe and 

 Set'i'etary Herman F. Moore were re- 

 elected. There were quite a number of 

 lady bee-keejiers present. If you want 

 to attend the best convention ever held, 

 attend tlue next Chicago and North- 

 western — ^eveiy member belongs to 

 "the push." 



FORMALIN GAS FOR FOUL 

 BROOD. 



The Deacon sa.vs in December issue 

 that he wished T had shouted sooner 

 and louder about formalin gas. I have 

 met so man.v criticisms in the past in 

 other things that I had not the cour- 

 age of my convictions, but now I am 

 going to .iust ask the editor to kindly 

 move over and give me a little more 

 room while I shout .iust one more 

 shout. 



Next time I will try and cut my arti- 

 cle short. As I have given chase to the 

 formalin rabbit I intend tostick to his 

 ti'ail until I either catch him or run 

 him into his hole for some one else to 

 catch. 



So many are on the wrong track and 

 the longer they follow that track the 

 farther they get from home. Many 

 think that germs are of animal life. 



The foul brood germ is a plant, and 

 it propagates by sporulating. which Is 

 a sexual act. Bacteria like the pear 

 blight germ, is a plant, but is non- 

 sexual. Now don't forget this: For- 

 malin gas will not of itself kill any 

 germ at all, no matter how strong; liut 

 when the gas and the air are combined 

 those two elements together produce 

 formic acid, and the formic acid is 

 what kills the germs and spores. So 

 many say, "Oh, your box was not 

 tight enough, therefore you failed," 

 when the truth of the matter was. the 

 box was too tight. Remember that the 

 air is .iust as necessary as the gas. 

 You don't want your l)ox too tight. Let 

 in lots of gas and lots of air. As long 

 as you do that you will continue to 

 produce formic acid. When the air 

 stops coming in. .vou soon stop forming 

 tlie acid. When you appl.y formalin 

 gas to an air-tight chamlier you only 

 produce formic acid so long as that 

 air lasts, or until that air ceases to sup- 

 ply the necessary element. After that, 

 no matter how strong your gas is you 

 get no acid. Hence it is not effective. 

 Remember also that formic acid will 

 hurt neither bees nor brood. Bee-sting 

 poison is formic acid, the same ident- 

 ical stuff that is produced by formalin 

 gas and air. 



I made the statement some time ago 

 that I hoped to see the time when this 

 gas could be so applied that it would 

 kill every gei"m and spore in a hive 

 full of bees and not cause the l)ees to 

 miss a meal; but in bee-journals I did 

 not venture to go further, as I knew 

 T was treading on dangerous ground, 

 but now as others have had their 

 say; tried and failed, perhaps the 

 brick bats won't fly so thick around 

 m.v head if I venture to offer a little 

 belli for your own good. Next month, 

 if I live, I will tr.v to tell you how you 

 can. without an.v machineiy b.v only 

 slight cost, apply formalin gas into 

 .vour hive full of bees no matter liow 

 rotten with foul l»rood and kill every 

 germ and spore and not kill your bees. 

 That is a prett>' broad statement, but 

 I think I can j)rove it. But don't 

 try it on a large scale till you know 

 .iust how. 

 "Williamsfield, Ills. Nov. 5, 1003. 



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