160 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Feb. 1 



A bill for an act making an appropriation for the 

 Illinois State Bee-keepers' Association. 



A bill for an act providing for the appointment of a 

 State Inspector of Apiaries, and prescribing his pow- 

 ers and his duties. 



A bill for an act to prevent the spraying of fruit- 

 bloom. 



The first of these bills has already passed the legis- 

 lature before, and all that is needed is a renewal of 

 the same bill, in the same way that bills are passed 

 for the support of the State agricultural and horticul- 

 cultural associations. The appropriations formei-ly 

 granted have given our State Association Secretary, 

 Mr. Stone, an opportunity of spreading information 

 on bee culture, and have made our State Society a per- 

 manent institution, besides helping it to destroy foul 

 brood within 'he State. 



The second bill is needed to give power to the State 

 Inspector of Apiaries, who has thus far been employ- 

 ed by the State Association, and ha« done very good 

 work in the destruction of foul brood under the direc- 

 tion of the Association, but might be handicapped if 

 it became necessary to destrov diseasf>d colonies of 

 ignorant or recalcitrant apiarists. It is also needed to 

 put a penalty on the shipping or selling of diseased 

 colonies of bees. The proposed law is a'most a dupli- 

 cate of the Wisconsin f -"ul-brood law. Twelve States 

 or more have foul-brood laws, and it is time that Illi- 

 nois should fall in line with other progressive States 

 on this point. The proposed law had already passed 

 the Senate of the previous Assembly, and failed in the 

 House only on account of lack of time. It should pass 

 during this session. 



The third bill is intended to prevent the wholesale 

 poisoning of bees by ami-^nnderstood or misapplied 

 use of tree-spraying. Fruit-trees should be sprayed 

 when the fruit is forming, but the blossoms should be 

 allowed to fertilize first. In this way the danger to 

 bees and to those who might eat of the poisoned hon- 

 ey will be avoided, and spraying will serve its real 

 purpose — that of destroying the insects that prey up- 

 on the formed fruit. Spraying ju't after the bloom 

 has fallen is the most advisable, though ill-informed 

 dealers in spraying-apparatus often recommend spray- 

 ing during bloom. Spraying during bloom is an in- 

 jury to the pollen, which often becomes diluted in the 

 poisonous liquid and becomes inert. So. even if the 

 bees were in no danger it would be inadvisable for 

 horticulturists to sprav before the bloom is out. 



Senator Berry, who is a leading member of the Gen- 

 eral Assembly, has promised his belp. and urges us to 

 use all our influence upon our respective members of 

 the legislature in recommending the pa'ssMore of these 

 bills; so I trust that every one of our Illinois readers 

 will write to the Representative and Senator of his 

 district to ask careful consideration of these measures. 



All favorable answers to your requests— in fact, all 

 the correspondence concerning this matter, should be 

 forwarded to Mr. James A. Stone, of Springfield, in 

 order to put him in possession of all necessary indica- 

 tions. A concerted action will surely result in success 

 when the way is already so well paved. 



C. P Dadant, 

 Chairman of Committee on Legislation. 



MINNESOTA. 



A COPY OF THE BILL BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE. 



I inclose herewith a copy of the bill that the Minne- 

 sota Bee-keepers' Society has had introduced in both 

 chambers of the legislature. The bill is Senate file 

 74, and House tile 52. I hope it will fare better than 

 it did two years ago. Wm. Russell 



Minnehaha Falls, Minn., Jan. 21. 



A bill to create the office of Inspector of Apiaries: to 

 provide for the suppression of contapiovs diseases 

 amona bees, and to appropriate money therefor. 



Be It enaoted by the lefrislature of the State of Minnesota. 



Sec. 1.— The Governor shall appoint for a term of two years 

 a State Inspector of Apiaries. Said inspector shall, when noti- 

 tted of the existence of the disease known as ■• foul brood '' 

 among; apiaries, or other diseases Infectious in their nature, 

 and ln.iurlous to bees in their larval, pupal, or adult stajyes. ex- 

 amine all reported apiaries and all others in the same locality, 

 and ascertain whether or not sucli disease exists; and. If satls- 

 tted of its existence, shall pive the owner or person who has 

 charpe of such apiaries full instructions as to the manner of 

 treatlntr them. Within a reasonable time after makinfr such 

 examination the Inspector shall make another examination 

 thereof; and if the condition is such as in his judprraent ren- 

 ders it necessary, he may give notice to the owner or person In 

 charge of such apiaries, prohibiting the sale, barter, or remov- 

 al of any l)ee8, honey, or appliance from such affected apiary. 



Sec. 2.— After inspecting Infected hives or fixtures, or han- 

 dling diseased bees, the Inspector shall, before leaving the 

 premises, or proceeding to any other apiary, thoroughly disin- 

 fect any portion of his own person and clothes, and any tools 

 or appliances used by him which have come In contact with in- 



fected material, and shall see that any assistant or assistants 

 with him shall likewise thoroughly disinfect their persons 

 and clothing and any tools and Implements used by them. 



Sec 3.— Any bee-keeper who shall be aware of the existence 

 of foul brood In his apiary, or who shall receive notice from 

 the Inspector as provided in Section 1 of this act, and who shall 

 sell, l)arter. give away, or remove any such apiary or any 

 honey, appliances, or bees from such apiary, any bee-keeper 

 who shall refuse to allow the inspector to examine his apiary, 

 honey, and appliances, shall be fined not less than S.'iO.OO nor 

 more than $100.00. or be Imprisoned in the county jail not less 

 than one mouth nor more than two montlis. 



Sec. 4. — The Inspector of Apiaries shall make, at the close of 

 each calendar year, a report to the Governor, stating the num- 

 ber of apiaries visited, the number of those diseased and 

 treated, the effect of such treatment, and the disposition made 

 of sucli apiaries. 



Sec. 5.— The compensation of said Inspei^tor of Apiaries for 

 service and expense is here fixed at $1000 per year; and there 

 is hereby appropriated out of money In the State treasury, 

 not otherwise appropriated, the sura of SIOOO each year for the 

 maintenance of said Inspector of Apiaries. 



Sec. 6.— This act shall take effect immediately after its pas- 

 sage. 



MISSOURI. 

 FOUL-BROOD AND PURE-FOOD BILLS. 



Missouri bee-keepers, attention! "The Apiary 

 Bill," providing for an inspector of apiaries to aid anij 

 assist in the develo'ment and protection of the hon- 

 ey industry, and for the prevention and suppression 

 of diseases among honey-bees, such as foul brood, etc.. 

 has been introduced in the senate of the 44th general 

 assembly, and is called Senate bill No. 145. 



I earnestly request all bee-keepers of Missouri to 

 write to the Representative of their county in our leg- 

 islature, also to the Senator of their district, a letter, 

 urging them to vote and work for Sennte bill No. 145. 

 as it is of thf' utmost importance to the bee-keepers 

 of the State that this bill may pass and become a law. 

 It would assist me in my work if each one who has 

 written a letter to our Representatives and Senators 

 would send me a postal card stating to whom he has 

 written, as I, when I approach our legislature at Jef- 

 ferson City, will know that they have heard from 

 homet 



Brother bee-keepers, let us all work for the " Foul- 

 brood Bill," and we shall succeed in having it passed. 



There is another bill which is before the \> gislature 

 now. which is of great importance to the bee-keepers; 

 that is. the " Pure-food Bill." A bill has been intro- 

 duced in the Senate, bei'^g Senate b'lls Nos. 47 and 48, 

 also in the House, b-ing House b lis Nos, 215 and 216 

 (the Senate and House bills read alike), which, if 

 they become a law, will stop the sale of any article 

 under the name of honey which is not the pure prod- 

 uct of the honey-bee. 



It will be seen that the demand for honey must in- 

 crease if these bills pass and become a law, as it will 

 stop the adulteration of honey by mixing honey with 

 glucose and calling it honey, or by putting a small 

 piece of comb honey in a tumbler and filling it up 

 with glucose and calling that honey. 



Bee-keepers, write to your Representatives, and 

 Senators also, to support these bills. Write to 

 the Senators to support the " Apiary bill " No. 145, 

 and the "Pure-food Bills" Nos. 47 and 48. Write to 

 your Representatives to support the Apiar.v bill. Sen- 

 ate b'll No. 145, and the Pure-food bills, being House 

 bills Nos. 215 and 216. 



Bee-keepers, don't miss this chance to do something 

 for yourselves. Robt A. Holbkamp. 



Sec. Mo. State Bee-keepers' Ass'n, 

 4263 Virginia Ave., St. Louis. 



OPPOSITION TO THE PURE-FOOD LAW. 



The recently enacted national pnre-food 

 law is now meeting with considerable oppo- 

 sition, and it seems very clear that the adul- 

 terators have been reserving their fire for 

 the Hon. Secretary of Agriculture and his 

 assistants, who have to interpret the law. It 

 is also evident that the brewers and glucose- 

 makers will attempt to carry a certain senti- 

 ment with them by claiming to be friends of 

 the farmer because they are large purchas- 

 ers of corn. As a matter of fact, the new 

 law will undoubtedly be of great benefit to 

 the honest farmer, more particularly the 

 producers of maple syrup, cane syrup, sor- 

 ghum syrup, cane sugar, and beet sugar; 

 and last, but not least, the honey-producers 



