242 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mar. 15 



mains to investigate the formation and 

 growth of this organ, to determine from what 

 segments or portions of the body it is pro- 

 duced, and name it accordingly. When a 

 queen with an "umbilical cord" appears 

 in our apiary, we will immediately inves- 

 tigate her anatomy with a view to ascertain- 

 ing just what that structure is. 



Another bone of contention is that of 

 Bacillus alvei and Bacillus viesentericus. 

 Dr. Lambotte's contention that these two 

 germs are identical is not well supported, 

 as shown by his own statements. While 

 the fact that these two germs have the same 

 general form and appearance under the mi- 

 croscope, while both have the same effect 

 when injected into the circulation of an an- 

 imal (presumably a guinea-pig or a rabbit) , 

 and while cultures of mesentericus may de- 

 stroy more or less brood, these arguments 

 are not convincing. Anj' foul decaying mat- 

 ter — which is reallj' what a culture of tnes- 

 eniericus amounts to — spread over healthy 

 brood, would be likely to kill it. Cleanli- 

 ness is as much a necessity for the develop- 

 of bee-larvae as for the development of a 

 small babe. Likewise Dr. Lambotte found 

 that Bacillus niesentericus would grow on 

 cultures made of the larvEe of bees. Mesen- 

 tericus is a saprophytic germ; that is, one 

 which derives the organic material for its 

 growth from decaying organic matter (in 

 contradistinction to " parasites," which de- 

 rive their nourishment, or part of it, from 

 /zz;/w^ organisms) . True saprophytes are 

 rarely confined to any one material as a 

 "host," but the same saprophytic germ 

 may often be found upon a variety of materi- 

 als. Dr. Lambotte's assertion that cul- 

 tures of mese7itericus killed larvae, but fail- 

 ed to start a contagious disease, is strong 

 evidence that mesentei'icus is a true sapro- 

 phyte, and not in any sense a parasite, as 

 is Bacillus alvei. Past experience has dem- 

 onstrated that the introduction of Bacillus 

 alvei into an apiary when brood is in the 

 hives invariably results in contagious foul 

 brood. No other kind of foul brood is known. 

 This, mesentericus has failed to do; and 

 until Dr. Lambotte has demonstrated that 

 the introduction of niesentericus produces a 

 contagious disease in no way distinguish- 

 able from foul brood, his statement that the 

 two species are identical must stand as ex- 

 tremely doubtful. 



College Station, Texas, Jan. 27, 1903. 



[I am glad we have so capable a man as 

 Mr. Newell at the Apicultural Station in 

 Texas to separate fact from fiction and 

 false science from real science. When I first 

 saw the reference to the umbilical cord, I 

 regarded it more as a joke than any thing 

 else ; but apparently a good many corres- 

 pondents began to think there was some 

 "science" about it. That there may be 

 something corresponding to the so-called 

 umbilical cord is probably true. 



Mr. Newell's statement regarding Bacil- 

 lus alvei and Bacillus mesentericus is un- 

 doubtedly true science. It did not seem 



possible at any time that an old and recog- 

 nized form of rot was an old enemy under a 

 new name. — Ed.] 



SELLING HONEY THROUGH THE U. S. EX- 

 PRESS CO. ; A GOOD SUGGESTION. 



I w'ish to inform my fellow bee-keepers 

 that I have found a safe and easy way of 

 selling honey. The U. S. Express Compa- 

 ny publishes a list each month of goods for 

 sale along its line. You write to the Order 

 and Commission Department, New York, 

 stating what 3'ou have to sell, and from 

 what station. They will print it and send 

 the slips broadcast. I have sold every bit 

 of my honey at a good figure to agents in 

 Indiana, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. 

 If you have honey to sell, call on your near- 

 est agent for information. 



Spottswood, Va. W. E. Tribbelt. 



[Your suggestion is a very good one; and 

 while w^e have known that the United States 

 Express Co. did a general commission busi- 

 ness of this kind, the matter has never yet 

 come before our readers. It costs nothing 

 for a bee-man to apply to his local express 

 agent; for, indeed, the express company 

 charges nothing, for, as the compan3' says, 

 its remuneration comes out of the haul of 

 the produce. Mr. Tribbelt incloses one of 

 the U. S. Express Co. 's commission blanks. 

 The following is an exact copy of the head- 

 ing and announcement: 



UNITED STATES EXPRESS CO. 



ORDER AND COMMISSION DEPARTMENT. 



Price List No. 99 New York, Jan. 22, 19a^. 



Agents must have these lists distributed among our 



pattons 

 Dealers can buy, and producers can sell any and all 

 commodities they handle through our O. and C. De- 

 partment. Our agents will solicit orders from dealers 

 and quotations from produce) s, and furnish informa- 

 tion relative to this department. All prices F. O. B. at 

 shipping-point, and subject to market changes All 

 orders must be given to the local agent, who will fur- 

 nish proper stationery, and forward same to the agent 

 at shipping-point A'o guarantee given; our agents 

 simply transact business between producer and dealer 

 for the express charges derived therefrom. 



Immediately following this is a long list 

 of various kinds of produce, telling where 

 the same is located, and the price. At va- 

 rious points in Michigan, fish is quoted at 

 10, 7, 6)4, 4J2, according to the kind. Cel- 

 ery is cinother prominent item. Apples, 

 grape juice, lettuce, nuts, honey, maple su- 

 gar, eggs, poultry, butter, pet stock, swine, 

 etc., are listed. 



These commission blanks are sent all 

 over the United States, and anj' one can 

 often obtain produce at reasonable figures. 

 Among the items of honey I notice two tons 



