'IBE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



249 



neighboriu;^ locality ? Because fog only 

 forms witliin a limited space, and in this is 

 uot everywhere of the same density ; hence 

 the disease connot break out in the same 

 locality with the same violence, and cannot 

 appeXr at all outside of this region. 



2. Why does the disease affect colonies 

 unequally, and the strongest ones worst 'i 

 Because the colonies never haye tlie same 

 strength of flight bees, and the poisoned 

 food is not carried in and worked up in the 

 same quantity. The strongest and most 

 diligent colonies must be attacked worst by 

 the disease, because it can be demonstrated 

 that they carry in the most and prepare 

 larval food in the greatest abundance. 



;?. Why does May sickness invariably dis- 

 appear of itself after a rain ? Because the 

 atmospheric condition and temperature are 

 changed by rain, which purifies the air, and 

 washes away the poison deposited on the 

 plants, so that the bees have no more to 

 carry in. 



4. How may the disease be prevented ? 

 The bees already diseased cannot be cured, 

 but the disease may be prevented if on the 

 day the fog appears, in the critical time re- 

 ferred to, or on the day the first sick bees 

 are seen, the bees are at once fed with rather 

 thin feed and this kept up until a change of 

 weather, in order that less dew may be car- 

 ried in, and that what is carried in may be 

 mixed with the abundant feed, so that the 

 poison from the plant may be distrifiuted, 

 thinned, and weakened, and lose its fiarm- 

 fulness for the bees." 



Following this is an extract from the 

 " Dentscher Bienenfreund :" '• It has long 

 been known that the atmosphere of indus- 

 trial cities is unhealthy for the plant world, 

 and tliat this injurious effect is i creased by 

 fog. The P^uglishman F.W.Oliver, found 

 that the classic thick English fog is hurtful 

 to plants for two reasons. First, it with- 

 draws light from them, which they need for 

 their healthy development ; second, it wa- 

 ters them with poisonous su'^'stances." Sul- 

 phuric acid and other compounds of sulphur 

 (a little too much for my (ierman chemical 

 vocabulary) also carbonic acid to an injuri- 

 ous degree are mentioned as occurring in 

 English fogs. 



I would suggest that it is not altogether 

 necessary for this theory that fogs be ac- 

 tually formed, but that dews be heavier than 

 usual. 



AxisTUALiAN Bee Bulletin. — Richard 

 Helms thinks that the following treatment 

 of bee paralysis, wiiich is slightly modified 

 from what he has repeatedly tried with very 

 satisfactory results, will always be followed 

 by the eradication of the disease : Kemove 

 all combs except those containing brood. 

 As soon as the bees are settlelfl at night feed 

 with a strong purgative; keep the bees 

 closed up till about 10 a. m. At this time 

 start them for a cleansing flight, shaking 

 off in front of the hive those hanging to the 

 combs. Feed at night with salicylated 

 honey (i) lbs. and ;5 lbs. water, boiled, after 

 which is added 1 oz. by weight of pure sal- 

 icylic crystal dissolved in warm water rrom 

 % lb. to 1 lb. at a dose) for two days, and 

 on the third night with a purgative food as 

 before and start the bees to flight next morn- 

 ing again. Constantly remove all dead bees 

 and burn them. After the purgative the 

 bees should have soiled the hive inside, then 

 after the second purgative tliey ouglit to be 

 transferred to a clean hive. Wash the alight- 

 ing board with soap and soda and clean the 

 bottom inside of the hive and wash it with a 

 solution — half an ounce to a quart of water 

 — of permanganate of potassium. Care- 

 fully remove the weeds from around and 

 from under the hive and burn them. Sprin- 

 kle lime thickly around and under the hive 

 and dust occasionally with flowers of sul- 

 phur the bottom of the hive inside. Feed 

 with salicylated honey food till a good flow 

 of nectar has set in. Supersede the queen, 

 if possible, by one from a healthy and vig- 

 orous stock. For a purgative he uses one 

 fluid ounce of podophylin to four of honey 

 and one part water. This proportion is 

 necessary to produce effective purging, 

 which he thinks absolutely necessary. In- 

 stead of the podophylin, four fluid ounces 

 of tincture of senna, or one-half ounce by 

 weight of epsom salts, may be used. 



Like Dr. Schiemens, he has noticed a 

 hitherto unknown form of bacillus, which 

 he artificially cultivated from spores found 

 in the contents of the intestines of the dis- 

 eased bees. He considers it distinct from 

 the depilating bacillus, or bacillus Qaytoni, 

 But his expression " quite a perplexing vari- 

 ety of organisms was met with " suggests to 

 a layman the suspicion that, after all, these 

 bacilli may be only those which might be 

 expected to cause the fermentation of food 

 when they get a chance, through indiges- 

 tion ; and that though they may be the im- 



