18 FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT 



ers, and in most cases, by their willing assistance, I have, 

 during the last five years, gotten several counties free of the 

 disease, and at the present writing, March 12, 1902, have 

 what there is in Wisconsin under control and quarantined. 

 This dreadful disease is often imported into our State from 

 other States and countries, so that we may expect some new 

 cases to develop, until all the States shall enact such laws 

 as will prevent further spread of the same. Arizona, New 

 York (1899), California, (1891), Nebraska (1895), Utah 

 (1892), Colorado (1897), have county inspectors, and Wis- 

 consin (1897), and Michigan (1901), have State inspectors. 

 The present Wisconsin law, after five years of testing and 

 rapid decrease of the disease is considered the best, and many 

 other States are now making efforts to secure a like law. 



There are several experimental apiaries in Canada under 

 control of the Ontario Agricultural College, also a few in the 

 United States, especially in Colorado, that have done great 

 work for the bee-keeping industry, and their various pub- 

 lished bulletins on the same are very valuable. The Wis- 

 consin State Bee-Keepers' Association have asked that an 

 experimental apiary might be had on the Wisconsin experi- 

 mental farm, but at present there are so many departments 

 asking for aid, that I fear it may be some time before bee- 

 culture will be taken up. 



CAUSES OF FOUL BROOD. 



1. Many writers claim foul brood originates from chilled 

 or dead brood. Dr. Howard, of Texas, one of the best prac- 

 tical modern scientific experimenters, a man of authority, 

 has proved beyond doubt that chilled or common dead brood 

 does not produce foul brood. I have, in the last five years, 

 also proven his statement to be true in Wisconsin, but I do 

 believe such conditions of dead brood are the most favorable 

 places for lodgment and rapid growth of diseases. Also, I 

 do not believe foul brood germs are floating in the air, for, 

 if they were, why would not every brood-comb cell of an 

 infected hive become diseased? I believe that this disease 

 spreads only as the adult bees come in contact with it, 

 which is often through robber-bees. Brood-combs should 

 not be removed from any colony on cold or windy days, 

 nor should they be left for a moment in the direct rays of 

 sunshine on hot days. 



2. The foul brood may be caused by the need of proper 

 food and temperature. Generally this disease does not appear 

 to be serious during a honey-flow, but at the close of the 

 honey season, or at times of scarcity, it is quite serious, and 

 as the bees at such times will rob anywhere they can find 

 stores, whether from healthy or diseased combs, it is the duty 

 of every bee-keeper to keep everything carefully protected. 

 Hive-entrances contracted, no old combs or any article with a 

 drop of honey in where the bees can get to it. While honey 

 is coming in from the various flowers, quite a portion is used 

 direct as food for the larval bee, and with such no disease 



