FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES ",95 



than when wintered in the usual close cellar, and I think there 

 will be that same strength when wintered in a cellar with a 

 furnace and a full supply of outdoor air. 



EUROPEAN FOUL BEOOD. 



In the year 1907 a number of cells of dead brood were found 

 in colony No. 13. I cannot now be certain of it, but I think a 

 few such dead brood had been seen a year or two previously. 

 A large cherry orchard in easy range of my bees had been 

 sprayed before the blossoms had fallen, and it was easy to 

 believe that the poison sprayed on these blossoms was account- 

 able for the dead brood. Nothing was done about it, and No. 

 13 turned out to be one of the best in the apiary. In 1908 I 

 think some cells of dead brood were found in two colonies. The 

 season was good, and no attention was paid to it, the idea still 

 being that the poisonous spray was the cause of the trouble. 



Beginning with the year 1909 I decided to give up the last 

 out-apiary (the Wilson), and keep all colonies in the home 

 apiary. When I found out later what was before me I was 

 thankful that all were in a single apiary. Diseased brood was 

 found to such an extent and in so many colonies that I sent a 

 sample to Dr. E. F. Phillips at Washington. Back came the 

 report that European foul brood was the thing I had to deal 

 with. T do not know how many colonies wei'e diseased at the 

 opening of the season, but 1 do know that we had been doing 

 our level best to spread the disease throughout the whole apiary 

 by indiscriminate exchanging of combs of brood. 



It was fairly along in the season when I got the word from 

 Washington, and here is what I had to face: A season of 

 dearth, there being a dead failure of the early honey-flow ; bees 

 in about 150 hives, counting nuclei and all, and only 22 of 

 them that showed no sign of disease throughout the whole 

 season; with a disease that at that time was said to be ten 

 times worse than American foul brood. I felt like giving up, 

 but for only a little while. If others had fought the disease, 

 why couldn't 11 Besides, I could now have some live experience 

 with a thing I had only previously read about. 



I started in to use the McEvoy treatment, brushing the 

 diseased colonies upon foundation, after doing some breaking 



