98 THE AMERICAN 



be divided into two classes, those due 

 to germs aud those due to nutriment 

 but the degree of malignancy of the 

 former is often dei)endent on the bee's 

 food. 



"Foul brood i-s the only germ disease 

 positively known as such. It attacks 

 bee brood and causes foul decompo- 

 sition. Black brood is by some sup- 

 posed to be foul brood, modified by 

 some unknown cause. Pickled brood 

 is another disea-se of unknown origin. 

 Paralysis attacks tJhe adult bee, and 

 symptoms point to its being caused by 

 bacteria. Aside from foul brood, the 

 diseases mentioned are not common. 



Dysentery, which decimates col- 

 onies in the Spring, is ascribed 

 to no one knows how many 

 causes. Tumefaction of the antennae is 

 of rare occurrence, and has been notic- 

 ed mostly in queens. The ends of the 

 antennae become enlarged and turn 

 yellow. This extends to the front of 

 the head and the bee soon dies. Verti- 

 go, whose symptoms are a dizzy man- 

 ner of flying and irregular motions, 

 followed by lassitude and death, is an- 

 other disease. It is ascribed to nectar 

 from such plants as laurel, azaleas and 

 I'hododendrons. 



"At varying times and places, what 

 seem to be different diseases, become 

 epidemic, and whole districts become 

 depopulated of bees. Careful analyses 

 of the conditions preceding and dur- 

 ing bee e])idemics, point to food as be- 

 ing at tlie bottom of the ti-ouble. 

 Hereditary impaired constitutions are 

 also a potent factor in inviting dis- 

 ease. 



"Until recent times it was the cus- 

 tom to destroy the heaviest colonies 

 for their honey. This destruction of 

 the strongest left the lass vigorous 

 to perpetuate the species. Evil results 

 finally became so obvious as to arrest 

 the attention of bee-keepers, and 

 methods were devised to obtain part of 

 the honey without destruction of the 

 bee. also of taking the les-s populous 

 colonies and saving the heavy ones 

 for stock. Next came an era of ex- 

 cessive and unwise manipulation, re- 

 sulting in great loss of bees. 



"I know of no practice that has 

 been more productive of harm 

 than that of spreading the brood, 

 to increase the strength of colonies. 



BEE-KEEPER. 



May, 



Brood killed in this way furnishes a 

 hot-bed for breeding disease germs. 

 The advent of the Italian bee was 

 hailed as a panacea for all ills in bee- 

 dom. It did infuse new life into the 

 bee. 



"Now again bee disease appears in 

 all directions, and in all degrees ol 

 maligna-ncy. Have any of you noticec 

 that the spread of disease is coincldeni 

 with the so-called cup system of queei 

 rearing? Proper rearing and develop 

 ment of queens is essential toi wel 

 bees. 



"Faults along these lines we cai 

 overcome, but curing illness well seat 

 ed is not so easy. Treatment of any o 

 the diseases by drugs is diflftcult an( 

 uncertain. Success has been obtainei 

 in eradicating foul brood, by the us' 

 of izal. Bee paralysis has been eoir 

 crolled to some extent, by the use o 

 flour sulphur. The first thing for us 

 to do with any disease is to remove a 

 unclean matter, give the bees clear 

 dry quarters, sound stores and 

 healthy queen. 



"The McEvoy treatment of foi 

 brood is - take the bees from every 

 thing they had. and keep them froi 

 combs or brood until their stomaci 

 are pre-sumably free from any gern 

 then give them a chance tO' establis 

 a new home. 



"Dysentery appears to be a gen 

 disease, which is always presen 

 awaiting favorable conditions to d 

 velop. In handling bees, we mu; 

 avoid extremes of heat and coh 

 and do not change the proportions (i 

 nurses to brood that the latter are llil 

 ble to suffer from want of food. Witj 

 bees as with hiimanity, an ounce < 

 prevention is worth several pounds (| 

 cure." 



Following the talk by Mr. Miller, 11 

 was interrogated upon various phas«| 

 of bee life, success and failures of beif 

 keepers. 



Several of those present were eij 

 rolled as members of the society at tt| 

 close of the meeting. It was announ 

 ed that the next meeting of the soci 

 ty would be in the library room of tl 

 Horticultural society, March 18. 

 was also given out that plans weiJ 

 being made for at least twoi sumnn 

 field days, when the bee in life cou|| 

 be studied. 



