216 THE BEEKEEPERS' REVIEW 



the close of the season, even the queen herself missing in some 

 cases. 



Our modified plan where foundation is used, it to remove the 

 central combs containing most of the brood and ALL the queen 

 cells to the third story, as before, leaving all the outside combs con- 

 taining honey and some little brood at the outside, (usually three or 

 four combs are left in a ten frame hive) the central portion of the 

 hive is now filled in with foundation, and with this method we have 

 never had a broodnest abandoned but usually find the foundation all 

 drawn out, no matter how much empty comb space is given above. 



With this plan, if we do not find the queen the first time looking 

 them over, the bees and queen are shaken off the six cards of brood 

 raised above, this being the quicker way in many cases. 



An Amateur Optimist^s Anticipation 



WILLIAM VOLLMER, Akron, N. Y. 



Much has been said and read about foul brood and its terrible 

 onslaught on the beekeeper, the careless beekeeper in general. 

 While of course when once in a locality it is a contagious disease, 

 and it seems to be breaking out in new localities every now and 

 then. 



As a general thing the inspector, if there is one, is a very busy 

 man indeed, generally too much territory to cover, that is to in- 

 spect and enforce the law to limit. 



How can we ever hope even to abate this disease under such 

 conditions? There will always be the careless farmer beekeeper 

 with a few colonies, who usually looks after them about two or 

 three times a year, once in the spring to see if they are alive and 

 put on some kind of ramshackle supers ; then again when they 

 swarm to hive them in an old hive that has not been properly 

 cleaned out, and again in the fall after all honey is gathered to 

 take same, if they have stored any, which is generally very little. 

 And the last of all we will divide into three parts. 1st, he has the 

 very best equipment to harbor and transmit disease and rear a 

 generous supply of moths, as his bees are generally black or brown. 

 2nd, his bees always rear a plentiful supply of drones (black of 

 course) which is a nice detriment to his neighbor beekeeper to mate 

 his selected Italian queens to to have them breed pure. 3rd, when 

 he does have some honey he will sell same in some old soiled sec- 

 tions or strained as the case may be; at least he always sells at a 



