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86 



NINTH ANNUAL, REPORT OF THE 



I have seen many classes of indus- 

 trial people in this country grow up, 

 and I have watched the progress of 

 different industrial pursuits, and the 

 kind of legislation being enacted in 

 their behalf, and I find that no indus- 

 trial pursuit has been overlooked or 

 slighted as much as is the subject of 

 .bee-keeping, not only in the State ot 

 Illinois, but in all other States, and 

 throughout the civilized world. 



In European countries, the people 

 went to work before their legislative 

 bodies, in years gone by, and showed 

 the importance of the bee-industry, 

 and they received some proper protec- 

 tion. Here in the United States, we 

 have next to none. 



I was present at the first conven- 

 tion ever held in North America, in 

 Indianapolis, in 1871, in the month of 

 December; perhaps Mr. Baldridge was 

 present at that convention, and served 

 as secretary. The matter of foul brood ' 

 cvas discussed, and ideas were gone 

 over as to how the ailment should be 

 treated. It was discussed there by a 

 gentleman by the name of Rood, from 

 Michigan. He gave us his experience 

 in that convention, and the remedy 

 that he regarded as being a cure. 



It was to dig a hole in the ground, 

 put straw or hay in it, or chaff, or 

 something of that kind, in the bottom 

 of the hole, and pour coal oil on it, and 

 m the dead hour of the night set the 

 hive in it, put on more hay or straw, 

 and more coal oil, and set fire to it, 

 and then fill up the hole. He said that 

 was a perfect cure. 



Theie was some reason for adopting 

 that measure then, bcause movable- 

 comb hives were scarcely known. 



Nearly all the bees were kept in 

 round logs and boxes or different 

 ^<{inds: they simply thought so long as 

 they got their bees in a cavity of some 

 kind, that was all that was necessary 

 in that day. 



But today we have a better method 

 of treating it, and one that will suc- 

 ceed. 



It has been charged, I understand, 

 right in this city, that some of the 

 manufacturers of bee-supplies are 

 guilty of wanting a law passed in this 

 matter of foul brood in the State of 

 Illinois, in order that they might have 

 an opportunity to burn up hives, that 

 they might have a larger sale of bee- 

 supplies; that they might sell more 

 hives. 



I think those statements are far- 

 fetched, and a great mistake has been 

 made, to make any such assertions as 

 those. 



I do not believe we have a bee- 

 keeper in the United States who would 

 advise legislation of that nature for 

 any such selfish purpose. I can't be- 

 lieve you could find such a one. 



But before we go into the treatment 

 of foul brood let us ask. What is it, 

 anyway? Well, it is a living organism, 

 a little microibe, that multiplies with 

 great rapidity; but what ushers it into 

 existence we don't know anything 

 about. 



Dr. Phillips has made this statement, 

 and Dr. White the same, and all who 

 have been Investigating the matter 

 have made similar statements — we 

 don't know what ushers it into exist- 

 ence; we know the remote cause of 

 foul brood, but of the primary cause 

 we know nothing; the immediate, ex- 

 citing cause, we do not know; we do 

 know that if honey infected with foul 

 brood microbes is given to the bees, 

 that are in otherwise perfect condition, 

 they will contract that ailment imme- 

 diately, and that it is incurable, that 

 is, by the administration of any kind 

 of drug or chemical, or any such sort 

 of treatment that you resort to, you 

 cannot stop the destruction of the 

 brood or a perfect colony ibefore in- 

 fected going to destruction. 



I think it requires a great deal of 

 care and attention, and it is due to 

 lack of care in conducting some of the 

 methods of treatment of curing foul- 

 brood that has led some persons to 

 believe it is not curable. I heard a 

 gentleman say in this city, that, treat 

 foul brood as you may, it will reap- 

 pear. I think that is a mistake, unless 

 it is exposed to the same cause as 

 started it in the beginning. I know 

 very well that I have treated it in 

 .my own apiary, and it never got 

 back into those colonies again, and it 

 never ■w'^ill, unless exposed to the same 

 cause. 



I have been fighting it for about two 

 years now. It was brought into our 

 part of the country innocently, and we 

 had to have legislation before we 

 could do anything in the way of 

 stamping it out. Some parties bought 

 some bees, who were keeping bee-sup- 

 plies, not knowing that they were in- 

 fected with foul brood; they did not 

 know anything about it. I was the first 





