48 A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY. 



Dr. Win. R. Howard, of Fort Worth, Texas, carefully investigated the 

 pathological nature of foul brood, and in 1894 his results were published 

 in a pamphlet entitled "Foul Brood," by Geo. W. York & Co., of Chi- 

 cago, 111. In his investigations, Dr. Howard found that when Bacillus 

 alvei or its spores were excluded from oxygen or air they would retain 

 their vitality indefinitely. He also found that direct exposure to air for 

 48 hours or more would destroy the spores. It does not follow from 

 this, however, that exposure of infected hives, frames, etc., to the air, 

 would result in killing all spores. It must be borne in mind that these 

 spores are infinitely small and that the wax, propolis, and other matter 

 adhering to the hive is sufficient to protect these spores from the air, 

 and thus their vitality and ability to reproduce the disease may be 

 retained for a long time. It is evident, then, that the exposure of such 

 infected hives, appliances, etc., to the air with a view to disinfecting 

 them, is not to be recommended and must be dismissed as impracticable. 

 Dr. Howard found also that boiling for 45 minutes, or exposure to a 

 temperature of nearly 212 F. did not always kill the spores. An hour 

 or more of boiling was sufficient to destroy them. It therefore follows 

 that boiling for more than an hour, an}^ appliance or hive, care being 

 taken that it is entirely submerged beneath the boiling water, should 

 thoroughly rid it of all germs and spores. 



Honey could be disinfected in this way, but is open to the objection 

 that boiling of honey would doubtless impair its flavor. The certain 

 and invincible remedy for foul brood is the killing and burning of all 

 infected colonies, together with the burning or thorough disinfection of 

 all infected appliances. In case there are but a few colonies in a locality 

 where bees are abundant, no other remedy should be attempted. 



Mr. Wm. MoEvoy, of Woodburn, Ontario, Canada, has used exten- 

 sively what is termed the M'Voy or "starvation" treatment. This has 

 been found successful according to published reports by many bee 

 keepers, and we quote from Mr. McEvoy ("A, B, C of Bee Culture," p. 

 153) as follows: 



"In the honey season, when the bees are gathering freely, remove the 

 combs in the evening and shake the bees into their own hive; give them 

 frames with foundation starters on and let them build comb for four 

 days. The bees will make the starters into comb during the four days, 

 and store the diseased honey in them, which they took from the old 

 comb. Then in the evening of the fourth day take out the new combs 

 and give them comb foundation to work out, and then the cure will be 

 complete." Personally, we have not had the opportunity of testing this 

 treatment, hence refrain from comments concerning it. 



Upon the resistance of the spores, upon many of the pathological 

 characters of the disease, the manner of spread, and upon many other 

 points, authorities disagree. Many points, essential to the successful 

 control of this disease, are unknown, and there is a great need for care- 

 ful scientific investigation of this dreaded scourge. 



The United States census for 1900 (U. S. Census Bulletin, No. 229) 

 gives the total number of colonies in Texas for that year as 392,644. 

 Estimated at $3.50 per colony, their value is seen to be $1,374,254. The 

 amount invested in honey-houses and other apparatus connected with 

 bee keeping, exclusive of hives, will doubtless approximate 5 per cent, 

 of this amount, or $68,712 more. The State Bee Keepers' Statistics, 



