

STATE bee-keepers' ASSOCIATION. 155 



am an authority on this subject, but I want to contribute 

 my information for the general good. The people all over 

 our State are not competent to treat it any more than they 

 are competent to treat a case of diphtheria or typhoid fever. 



Mr. Wilcox — How much is a diseased colony damaged 

 by treatment? 



Mr. Moore — Every day it is without any treatment? 



Mr. Kimmey — Yes, of course. 



Mr. Moore — I say it is not damaged one cent's worth. 



Mr. Wilcox — How much do you have to treat those which 

 are not diseased? 



Mr. Moore — I don't like to answer these questions be- 

 cause it means more experience than I have had, but I give 

 my opinion. I go to a man's apiary and he has 20 or 30 

 colonies. How am I to tell which is diseased? We usually 

 go from May to September. At that time of the year the 

 colonies are prosperous if they ever are. We walk up and 

 down the rows of bee-hives and we talk to the owner and 

 say, "Now, which colony has not been prosperous?" He says. 

 "This one." We open that hive. Something is the matter 

 with that colony; it may be queenless, it may be entirely 

 "•dead, or it may be nearly dead with foul brood; and with 

 or without smoke we open it. Almost at a glance, when you 

 get a frame out from the middle of the brood-nest you can 

 tell what you have got. If he suggests this or that hive we 

 always open that. If you are not satisfied with what he sug- 

 gests, say, "All right, I will look around a little." You open 

 one, two or three hives and you have a general view of the 

 situation. When he has 10, 20 or 30 colonies we don't at- 

 tempt for a moment to go through them all. 



Mr. Wilcox — You treat them all whether they are foul- 

 broody or not? 



Mr. Moore — ^Under our law we have no power to treat 

 at all ; we have simply to give advice. If they allow us to 

 treat we are glad to do so. 



Mr. Wilcox — What I want to find out is whether there 

 are any damages to be paid for it? 



Mr. Moore — Whether there ought to be a law giving dam- 

 ages to the bee-keeper? There should not, in my judgment. 



BEES AS PROPERTY, AND ASSESSABLE. 



Mr. Swift — ^Our bees as property are not assessable under 

 the laws of the State of Illinois. If they are not assessable 

 and produce no revenue why should the State pay revenue 

 back? Take cattle or any animal that is diseased, every one 

 is assessed upon that animal and pays revenue into the State. 



Dr. Miller — ^They may not be assessable but they are 

 assessed; I pay taxes on my bees. 



Mr. Swift — ^You don't have to. They are not assessable. 



Mr. Moore — You are a little in error, Mr. Swift, in the 

 schedule is a clause which says, "Other property." Now to a 

 really conscientious man, if he calls bees property, he ought 

 to list them; and I know of two or three who list them and 



