74 



MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS ON APICULTURE. 



The apathy of bee keepers, as a class, to these scourges is re- 

 markable, in view of the fact that information is available which 

 should point out the dangers now incurred by inadequate efforts 

 toward the control of these pests, or in most cases by no effort at all. 



As an example of the annual loss from this source, the following 

 figures, furnished the author by Mr. Charles Stewart, one of the 

 State inspectors, from the statistics of the New York department of 

 agriculture, are of value. These figures are based on the actual 

 number of colonies suffering from European foul brood which were 

 destroyed or ordered destroyed by the inspectors of apiaries and do 

 not represent the decreased returns from colonies not treated or 

 from those affected with disease and treated. This epidemic started 

 about 1897. The decrease in annual loss will be discussed later. 



Previous to 1899 . . $39, 383 



During 1899 25, 420 



1900 20,289 



1901 10,853 



1902 5,860 



During 1903 |4, 741 



1904 2,220 



1905 1.725 



Total 110,491 



In the majority of cases it is absolutely impossible to estimate the 

 losses, because so little is known of the actual territory covered; but 

 if a loss of $25,000 is possible in a few counties in one State and 

 there are many areas much larger where disease is equally epidemic, 

 the loss may well be estimated at $2,000,000 annually. 



The figures of the epidemic in New York offer an excellent example 

 of what may be done in eradicating a contagious disease. Unfor- 

 tunately that State had no means for taking up an extermination of 

 European foul brood as soon as it appeared, but steps were taken to 

 begin inspection as soon as such an innovation could be introduced. 

 By hard work on the part of four competent inspectors the annual 

 loss was rapidly reduced. The same results may be obtained any- 

 where by the employment of competent men to do the work, so that 

 from a rapidly spreading epidemic, threatening the bee industry, the 

 situation is changed until the disease becomes not so much a scourge 

 as an inconvenience. In the case in question there can be no doubt 

 that the annual loss would soon have reached $50,000 or that the 

 industry would have been practically destroyed had no State aid 

 been given just when it was. 



Not only is inspection of value in a case of this kind, but it is of 

 inestimable value in making possible the stopping of an epidemic 

 in its early stages. To continue with New York as an example, the 

 same disease, European foul brood, has since broken out in three 

 other localities, but the force of inspectors went to work at once and 

 there is little danger of serious trouble. It is safe to say that the 

 value of inspection in this State is nearly equal to the annual value 



