STATE bee-keepers' ASSOCIATION. 145 



starters of foundation in their frames, and they don't want to 

 take the starters out. 



Mr. Whitney — You said you found foul brood in this 

 region along the west part of the State, and along the In- 

 diana line. Do you conclude from that that foul brood is 

 prevalent along water courses, or in damp, low locations, 

 rather than dry? 



Mr. Smith — I can't say as to that. 



Mr. Whitney — It seems to me that it would be an index 

 if you found it in that locality and not in the dry ones. 



Mr. Smith — I found some counties along the Illinois 

 River from Peoria south until we get down to Pike county, 

 where I have not heard of any foul brood. When you get 

 down to Pike county there seems to be considerable of it. 



Mr. Dadant — I think I have an answer to that ques- 

 tion, whether foul brood will be produced in damp places. 

 Colorado is about as dry a State as there is, and, I believe 

 there is more foul brood to the thousand colonies there than 

 there is in Illinois. California is a very dry State, and they 

 have considerable foul brood. I think a great many colonies 

 has more to do with foul brood than temperature or moisture. 

 , We find when things are congregated in large numbers there 

 is more chance of disease ; that cities have more disease than 

 farms. In the production of crops a small vineyard will 

 have very little of the black rot, but put them together and 

 it will start somewhere and spread through the vineyard; 

 and I believe you will find the same thing where large vine- 

 yards are, and where a number of bees are kept together. 

 I believe that is the main secret of all the diseases. I would 

 like to add with regard to foul brood, it is very difficult to 

 say some things positively in regard to the treatment, as I 

 believe there are different degrees of foul brood, as there 

 are different diseases of the throat. Some foul brood is 

 more malignant than others. Therefore you need more care, 

 in which case the inspector has to judge as to how much 

 care he should use. In regard to beeswax, I have never had 

 foul brood at home. We have bees in the apiary where we 

 have our comb foundation making. We get beeswax from all 

 parts of the Union and foreign countries ; our bees have 

 access to the beeswax before it is melted. We find it diffi- 

 cult when we take in materials to have very close-fitting 

 doors, so they are opened most of the time in the summer, 

 and we have the bees in there a good part of the time; we 

 have never had any foul brood from it. Therefore I con- 

 clude it is impossible for beeswax to give foul brood, and 

 the reason is this : When beeswax is melted it soaks into 

 whatever it touches. If you dip your finger in hot beeswax 

 you find it very difficult to work it out, although the mois- 

 ture in the body would be apt to throw it out. Take one of 

 those foul-brood germs and soak it in beeswax, and you 

 deaden it and render it absolutely harmless, and it surely 

 could not reproduce itself. 



Mr. Reynolds — Mr. Smith states that a swarm hived on 

 foundation with a young queen is not as likely to have foul 



