ILLINOIS STATE BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION 



193 



The first step in this work is to 

 learn just where the diseases exist. 

 This phase of disease work has been 

 neglected in this country and no con- 

 ■certed effort has been made to estab- 

 lish the necessary facts. During the 

 summer just closing the Bureau of 

 Entoimology made a greater effort to 

 locate diseases and in all we have ex- 

 amined nearly a thousand samples to 

 get the data desired. We are not yet 

 prepared to give our results. In doing 

 this work we are compelled to make 

 it a rule never to be sure whether 

 disease exists in a given locality until 

 a sample of diseased brood had been 

 obtained. Furthermore, all samples 

 were examined bacteriologically to be . 

 sure of no error in diagnosis. In the 

 case of European foul brood this is 

 particularly necessary for the symp- 

 toms are not constant enough to be 

 sure of a sample after it has been 

 away from the hive for a time. Many 

 reports of disease turn out to be unre- 

 liable and this matter is too important 

 for any suspicions to be accepted as 

 facts. While the sending in of these 

 samples ■ by various persons interested 

 is much appreciated, it has seemed 

 rather strange that some men who 

 were in a position to help us material- 

 ly with this enormous task have not 

 responded as we might *ave wished. 

 There niay be some bee-keepers who 

 do not want it known that they have 

 disease in their apiaries and, there- 

 fore, are opposed to work on distribu- 

 tion. It is no disgrace to have disease 

 break out in an apiary; the only con- 

 dition under which a bee-keeper may 

 be considered remiss is when he does 

 not treat his diseased colonies. Any 

 man who hide^ disease and tries to 

 give the impression that his bees are 

 liealthy when they are not is, to say 

 the least, no friend to other bee-keep- 

 ers. In some states he is legally worse 

 than that. 



After the distribution is learned the 

 next step is to get in touch with every 

 l)ee-keeper In the territory where dis- 

 eases exist. This is not easy. During 

 the past summer the Bureau of Entom- 

 ology has sent out something over 

 10,000 circulars to postmasters, ask- 

 ing each one to give the names of bee- 

 Iceepers in his vicinity. All of the 

 returns have not yet been received 

 but each report will probably average 

 live names. The same plan could be 

 , Tised for a request from a government 



' , ,-•: -.-. --*:'■, ■ : ■ -■■ ;' ■- . ■■ , • , ;■;■■ - - -, . 



■ department for all the post offices 

 in the United States (over 60,000 in 

 number), if necessary, but our very 

 limited ofllce force will not permit it. 

 In some parts of the country we have 

 been able to get extensive lists of bee 

 keepers from other sources. 



After the names of the bee-keepers 

 are received, the next step should be 

 to send out a notice to each one living 

 in a county where either disease ex- 

 ists, advising him of that fact and 

 sending a circular on the subject so 

 that he can become familiar with the 

 symptoms and treatment of the dis- 

 ease. We have not been able as yet 

 to do this in many cases but hope to 

 continue the work in the future. 



I have briefly outlined this scheme, 

 not to advertise what the Bureau of 

 Entomology aims to do nor to make 

 elaborate promises but merely to in- 

 dicate the fact that, if diseases are to 

 be controlled it will take work to bring 

 it about. To sit by and expect an in- 

 spection law to wipe out disease is not 

 the part of wisdom. It has never done 

 so yet. 



Nor have I indicated all that must 

 be done. I should be very much pleas- 

 ed, however, if by this outline I could 

 induce each person interested to do 

 his share for the furtherance of the 

 industry. The Bureau of Entomology 

 will continue to do what it can with 

 the present limited funds, but it would 

 be just as unwise to leave too much 

 to us as it is to expect too much of 

 an inspector. 



Bureau of Entomology, 



Washington, D. C. 



The President — 'I doubt not that 

 there is very much to be said upon 

 this subject, and the Members will 

 please bear in mind the recommenda- 

 tions of the Committee on Kules, that 

 each member will speak but five min- 

 utes. The chair will endeavor not to 

 be arbitrary, but that all should have 

 a chance to talk in the limited time 

 left to us, let us try to be as pointed in 

 our remarks, and as precise in our 

 statements as we can. 



Dr. Bohrer — I have had some ex- 

 perience with this thing called foul 

 brood, and it is a very sore experience, 

 an experiencfe I would not have under- 

 gone for $500. I am not in bee-keep- 

 ing for the purpose of selling either 

 bees or a large amount of honey, nor 

 queens, or anything of that Kind; I 

 have no ax to grind. I keep 



