498 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Treatment and Cure of Foul Brood, 



The London Journal of Horticulture 

 contains the following on the above 

 subject : 



A correspondent, some time ago, 

 sought information on this subject. 

 So far as I know no more valuable 

 hints and instructions have appeared 

 than in the columns of the Journal, 

 and especially I would direct atten- 

 tion to what has been written by 

 Messrs. Cheshire and Cowan. From 

 these writings I will cite. Mr. Clies- 

 hire observes — •' AVhen foul brood 

 breaks out it attacks grubs only, and 

 for a fortnight or so no actual differ- 

 ence is effected, but as it spreads pop- 

 ulation is reduced from two causes : 

 Toung bees do not all hatch out, 

 some die prematnroly, and the •dor 

 generally diffusing itself takes all 

 heart and energy out of the workers ; 

 the brood-nest gets by degrees choked, 

 and the laying energy of the queen is 

 thus repressed. The general effect is 

 the gradual weakening of the colony 

 it is true, but all can see that time is 

 required for the destroyer to accom- 

 plish Ills purpose, and despite his sad 

 work making havoc within, the bees 

 mav appear to be in the full swing of 

 unhindered progress until the disease 

 has a firm hold of every comb. 



■• Tlie curability of foul brood is the 

 next point upon which I wish to in- 

 sist. AVhile we feel sure that the 

 doctor can do us no good, we will not 

 take his medicine, and while bee- 

 keepers believe that foul brood must 

 run its course and work out devasta- 

 tion and ruin nothing will be done to 

 arrest it, I assert its curability be- 

 cause I have again and again cured it, 

 and in this position I am pleased to 

 be able to reier to ene of the most 

 prominent, certainly one of the most 

 scientific and successful apiarists of 

 our day— T. W. Cowan, Esq., cliair- 

 man of the committee of the British 

 Bee-Keepers" Association, whose ex- 

 perience in the treatment of this 

 malady has been great, but not greater 

 than it has been successful, Mr. 

 Cowan, in reply to a request that he 

 would permit a publication of his 

 methods, has favored me with a 

 lengthened letter, in which he says, 

 • I am quite, I think, of your opinion 

 as regards foul brood, that is to be 

 cured if attacked in earnest. You 

 know I had it in my apiary, and it 

 was a source of great trouble to me, 

 but I stamped it out with salicylic 

 acid. My proceeding was to excise 

 any very bad places, and when I found 

 cells affected here and there I merely 

 uncapped them and sprayed the combs 

 witli the solution of which I send you 

 the recipe, I found generally in mild 

 cases one application was sufHcient, 

 but in more severe ones two or three 

 doses produced a complete cure, I 

 found that if the cells were uncapped 

 before they were punctured and 

 spraved with tlie solution, injecting a 

 larger quantity into the affected cell 

 so as to eject the viscid mass, there 

 was no fear of the disease appearing 

 again. In this state the viscid fluid 

 in the cell is of a light brown, and is 

 not permeated witli spores to such an 



extent as when it is allowed to remain 

 until it becomes highly colored, and 

 the covering much depressed. I doubt 

 very much if in this stage it is very 

 contagious. I have no doubt the 

 acid acts on the spores and destroys 

 their vitality. So far so good. Now 

 as regards the honey that is in the 

 hive, and which is supposed to con- 

 tain the spores (although I must say 

 I have never been able to detect any 

 by the microscope), how are we to in- 

 sure their being destroyed ? Simply 

 by uncapping it and feeding the bees 

 on syrup containing the acid, which 

 they will store with -the uncapped 

 honey, or uncap it and give it a good 

 spraying with the acid solution. I 

 have done both, but cannot say if it 

 was really required ; but as I think 

 prevention is bettei' than cure, and as 

 it is not much trouble, there can be 

 no harm done. 



'• 'All my hives are scalded, and so is 

 everything that has had anytliing to 

 do with the hive, and afterwards 

 everything is washed over with the 

 solution, I believe the germs of the 

 disease are carried in the air, and we 

 can feel safe ; I, therefore, always put 

 acid in all the food I prepare. I ex- 

 amined six of my hives, and all were 

 healthy but one, and that I thought 

 was also healthy. It was an early 

 swarm. This year I had thrown off a 

 swarm and a cast, and had given me 

 six small one-pound sections nicely 

 filled, I looked on the ten frames 

 and found no queen and no brood. 

 There was one cell covered, but not 

 punctured, but I at once recognized 

 as a foul-broody one. Xow the hive 

 had not been queenless very long, as 

 about ten days ago I saw the queen ; 

 and, although, she was not laying, 

 there was a small quantity of brood 

 hatching out, and all did hatch out 

 except this one cell ; it was uncapped 

 and injected with the solution, and 

 the other combs and bees sprayed with 

 it, I have no doubt it will prevent 

 its spreading in the future, as I shall 

 not hesitate in using these combs in 

 uniting if I require them. 



" ' I have examined six hives to-day, 

 fearing to find foul brood, but have 

 not detected a single cell in any of 

 the other hives. Xow, how did this 

 appear? It seems to me probable 

 that it was brought there by some of 

 the bees from outside, or a spore 

 might have been lurking in some of 

 the corners of the hive and had es- 

 caped the solution. This proves to 

 me that it is impossible to tell when 

 it may break out in an apiary ; and as 

 we know from experience that sali- 

 cylic acid destroys the spores, I think 

 it not only beneficial but important 

 that a certain quantity of this acid 

 should be in all tne food given to the 

 bees. Two years ago I tried feeding 

 the bees on syrup containing a strong 

 dose of acid without spraying the 

 combs, and I found that the disease 

 gave way to this treatment ; but I 

 find the other plan, that of uncapping 

 and spaying, the most rapid. I do not 

 mean to say if a hive is neglected, so 

 that all the brood is rotten, it can be 

 cured ; but if taken in time, as every 

 apiarist would do, it has been and 

 can be cured. Thos. Wm. Cowax. 



The table of recipes Mr. Cowan 

 encloses will explain themselves. 



Salicylic acid solution for mixing 

 with syrup for feeding bees, painting 

 over hives, and spraying combs, etc, 

 for the prevention of foul brood. 



Water 4 pints. 



Salicylic acid 1 oz. 



Soda borax 1 oz. 



Spring and summer food for bees : — 



White lump sugar 10 lbs. 



Water 7 pints. 



Vinegar 1 oz. 



Salicylic acid solution 1 oz. 



Salt 3^oz. 



Boil for a few minutes. 



Autumn and winter food for bees : — 



White lump sugar 10 lbs. 



AVater 5 pints. 



Vinegar 1 oz. 



Salicylic acid solution 1 oz. 



Salt }^ oz. 



Boil for a few minutes. 



Northwestern Convention. 



The Northwestern Bee-Keepers' 

 Association will hold its fourth annual 

 convention at Owsley's Hall, N. W. 

 corner Roby and West Madison Sts., 

 Chicago, 111., on Wednesday and 

 Thursday, October 17 and 18, 1883, 

 commencing at 10 a. m. on Wednes- 

 day and holding five sessions. 



Tlie Rev. L. L. "Langstroth (the 

 father of American apicluture) has 

 promised to be present, and many of 

 the most prominent apiarists of the 

 Northwest will be there and aid in 

 the deliberations and discussions. 



This meeting will be held during 

 the last week of the Inter-State In- 

 dustrial Exposition, and reduced 

 railroad fares may be had on nearly 

 all the railroads. A cordial invitation 

 is extended to bee-keepers every 

 where to attend this annual reunion. 



Meals may be obtained at the Res- 

 taurant near the Hall at 2.5 cts. each. 



Beds may be secured at the Gault 

 House for SI, or at other Hotels at 

 regular rates. 



Thos. G. Newsman, iSec. 



C. C. Miller, Pres. 



1^ " Take me out to see your 

 hybrids." was the label on a mam- 

 moth smoker exhibited at the Tri- 

 State Fair by Messrs. E. T. Lewis & 

 Co., Toledo, Ohio, It was about 2 

 feet high, and proportionate other- 

 wise, with a whistle and an organ, to 

 make music as operated. It caused 

 many an audible smile among the bee 

 men who examined it. 



^" Please announce that the Iowa 

 Central Association, will meet at Win- 

 terset, Iowa, Nov, 2, 188.3. 



Z. G. CooLEY, Sec. pro tern. 



