STATE bee-keepers' ASSOCIATION. 71 



it, but if my neighbors have foul brood, which they very 

 likely will have if my bees have it, Mr. Smith can't go over 

 and do anything until they are willing to have him, and if 

 they are willing he can do so, and in that way if the neigh- 

 bors are willing the law is good and it is all right just as it 

 is. It would make it more complete if we had this clause 

 in it, and that is just what we want. What encouragement 

 can this committee, Mr. Smith and others, give us that we 

 can get this in the next legislature? 



Mr. Starkey — I would like to address myself straight to 

 the question if it were possibl^r The question is one sup- 

 posed to be answered by the people who have had benefits. 

 The very fact that this law has been in force only a very 

 short time, and that possibly with the exception of three or 

 four people in this house, and also the things that have been 

 done could not apply to the question of the gentleman be- 

 cause none of the work that has been done has been done 

 more than three months, and if that is true, no man could 

 get up and say that two years ago I had some things done 

 and it is well done. I believe the question is not appropriate 

 under the conditions of this convention. 



Mr. Reynolds — Mr. Wheeler was talking about the law 

 in Wisconsin. 



Mr. Starkey — The Wisconsin people are not at this con- 

 vention. My statement is still true. It cannot be answered 

 in this convention, 



Mr. France — I may be considered as a man having an ax 

 to grind. The bee-keepers of the United States — why, I don't 

 understand, but the conditions are so. Say I am inspector of 

 Illinois, and I should go to one of your apiaries and find the 

 disease there. It would be treated. If in my annual report 

 I would say I have been to Mr. York's apiary, he having 

 supplies to sell or queen-bees to sell, or he even buying and 

 selling, the making public of the fact of foul brood the bee- 

 keepers would ignore him and they wouldn't touch him, or 

 put their hands on him. Experience has proven that we must 

 not publish the names, but if you want a list of those whose 

 bees have had foul brood in Wisconsin, and have not got it 

 now, I can give you pages of them. 



Mr. Coverdale — Nineteen years ago fpul brood was in- 

 troduced right close to me. It happened that I was right on 

 the ground and saw it before it got into more than three 

 colonies. These colonies were hunted up and treated, and 

 exterminated, and banished on the spot. If I hadn't seem 

 these we wouldn't have been able to do that. There isn't a 

 case of foul brood among my colonies now. I think a great 

 harm was headed right off. I believe in extermination of 

 foul brood. I thought I did a grand thing. 



Mr. Wheeler — I doubt if those bees had foul brood at all. 



Mr. Coverdale — I am familiar with it. I can tell or smell 

 it, or if any other bee-disease, I can tell it. 



Pres. York — I think so. 



Mr. Smith — If there are any in this audience that 

 haven't seen foul brood, or don't know anything about it, I 



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