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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Antiseptics for the Cure of Foul- 

 Brood in its Early Stages is the subject 

 of an article in the Canadian Live Stock 

 and Farm Journal, marked and sent to 

 us (we think) by Mr. Wm. McEvoy, the 

 Canadian Foul-Brood Inspector. It 

 reads as follows : 



In its early stages foul-brood may be 

 cured by the use of antiseptics. These 

 are used in weak solution, and are 

 sprayed over the combs and mixed with 

 the honey and syrup which are fed to 

 the bees. The chief of the antiseptics 

 used are known as salicylic acid, carbolic 

 acid, formic acid, and naphthol Beta. 



Salicylic acid is a powder which does 

 not dissolve readily in water. It must 

 first be dissolved in alcohol, or in a 

 solution of borax and water. It is then 

 diluted and sprayed upon the combs of 

 brood, and mixed with syrup or honey 

 and fed to the bees. In preparing this 

 antiseptic, use 16 grains of salicylic 

 acid, 16 grains of soda borax, and 1 

 ounce of water. One ounce of the mix- 

 ture is used with 1 quart of the food, and 

 the mixture is diluted with 50 per cent, 

 of water when used for spraying. 



When carbolic acid is used, it should 

 be in the pure crystallized form. One 

 ounce may be mixed with 40 pounds of 

 syrup. It is carefully stirred into the 

 cool syrup until well mixed, but must 

 first be dissolved and diluted by mixing 

 with water. As bees often refuse to 

 take food that contains carbolic acid 

 during the honey season, it must be 

 sprayed over the brood when used at 

 that season. 



Formic acid, which is nearly odorless 

 and highly antiseptic, is usually pur- 

 chased as a 25 per cent, solution, as a 

 100 per cent, solution is somewhat dan- 

 gerous to handle. A wine glassful of 

 the former is added to each gallon of 

 the syrup which is fed to the bees. 



Naphthol Beta is a white crystalline 

 substance obtained from the distillation 

 of coal tar. Twenty-three grains are 

 added to one gallon of thin syrup. As 

 the naphthol Beta is insoluble in cold 

 water, it must be dissolved in a mixture 

 of hot water and alcohol. 



The cure, by the use of antiseptics is 

 often ineffectual. Indeed, it is consid- 

 ered so unsatisfactory by some bee- 

 keepers that they do not use these at all. 

 Yet, in the early stages of the disease, 

 cure may be effected by the use of an- 

 tiseptics. But where the disease has 

 made much progress, it is difficult to 

 make a' permanent cure. This is owing 



to infectious matter that remains latent 

 in the hive. This matter may be " bot- 

 tled up in a cell of honey or pollen, or it 

 may remain dried up in the lining of a 

 cell, or among the wax cappings," as 

 stated in Bulletin No. 9, recently issued 

 by the Rhode Island State Agricultural 

 School. 



Foul-brood is raging in Utah, as we 

 are informed by an apiarist of that 

 Territory. It becomes necessary to rig- 

 orously stamp it out in order to save the 

 pursuit from annihilation. 



Frencli Bee Congress.— From 

 the British Bee Journal we learn that 

 on Sept. 2, 1891, the tenth Apiculural 

 Congress was held in Paris, presided 

 over by M. de Heredia, and attended 

 by Messrs. Abbe Boyer, Vignole, and 

 De Layens: Vice-Presidents Abbe Virnot 

 and Lefebvre. The Secretary, M. 

 Derosne, read the proposed statutes for 

 the federation of the French Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Societies. These statutes contained 

 18 rules, which were adopted by the 

 Congress as proposed. Every affiliated 

 society will pay, in accordance with 

 Rule X, an annual subscription of ten 

 francs. The object of the federation is 

 to group the different bee-keepers' asso- 

 ciations of France, and thus to enable 

 them to concentrate their forces to 

 defend their mutual interests, also to 

 obtain from governing bodies the support 

 and liberty necessary for this branch of 

 agriculture. The federation to continue 

 so long as at least three societies are 

 affiliated. 



Tlie Pier at the World's Columbian 

 Fair grounds, extending 1,000 feet into 

 the lake, is already completed. At its 

 extremity will be erected a tower 250 

 feet high. This will be of iron, covered 

 with "staff," and will resemble a light- 

 house in appearance. From its summit, 

 electrical displays of exceeding brilliancy 

 will be made, and by means of electric 

 " search-lights," the grounds, or any 

 particular portion of them, can be 

 flooded with light on fete nights. 



