and its Economic Management. 125 
standpoint ; placing on record only such statements as are 
supported by sound experience.* 
1.—The origin of foul brood is found in a fermenting mass of 
neglected dead animal matter and excretions, combined with the 
presence of a weakened colony, breeding and feeding amongst and 
warning up to blood heat such neglected matter, which they in a 
deteriorated state ave unable to remove. 
Ever since my very severe lesson experienced more than 
thirty-five years since I have held to this declaration as a 
truth to be maintained in the face of continued opposition, 
and more recently I have been pleased to notice that 
among my supporters I have Mr. McEvoy, the foul brood 
expert and Government Inspector of Canada, who probably 
has handled—and cured—more of this disease than any 
other bee-keeper. 
Our scientific friends say at once, “Dead brood cannot 
turn ‘into foul brood, and there. can be no such thing as 
spontaneous generation.” It is of no use replying that I 
quite agree with them. Dead brood as they think of it, 
may remain, and even rot down, and no disease such as 
foul brood need exist. But, if they will only follow my 
proposition to the very letter, they may have the same 
experience that I have done, they will have the same 
ending to their experiments, and a new light will enter 
their understanding. 
Notwithstanding the expression has many times been 
thrown at me by prominent scientists, I need not support 
any theory of spontaneous generation, and until my 
critics will go over exactly the same ground that I indicate 
in my proposition—and none have done so—they cannot 
* These propositions were first published by the Author in “‘ Bee 
Chat ” for 1898-9; and re-issued in the 1904 edition of ‘* A Modern 
Bee-Farm.” 
