DISSASED BBOOD. 267 



MY. OWN EXPERIENCE. 



My first experience will probably go back to a date 

 beyond many others ; it is almost twenty years since 

 the first case was noticed. I had kept bees, but fou|: 

 or five years when I discovered it in one of my best 

 stocks ; in fact, it was No. 1 in May and first of June. It 

 cast no swarm through the summer ; and now, instead 

 of being crowded with bees, it contained but very 

 few ; so few, that I dared not attempt to winter it. 

 What was the matter ? I had then never dreamed 

 of _ ascertaining the condition of a stock while there 

 were bees in the way, but was like the unskilful phy- 

 sician who is obliged to wait for the death of his pa- 

 tient, that he may dissect and discover the cause. I 

 accordingly consigned what few bees there were to 

 the " brimstone pit." 



DESCRIPTION OE DISEASE. 



A "post TTwrtem" examination revealed the follow- 

 ing circumstances : Nine-tenths of the breeding-cells 

 were found to contain young bees in the larva state, 

 fitretched out at full length, sealed over, dead, black, 

 putrid, and emitting, a disagreeable stench. Now here 

 was one link in the chain . of cause and effect. I 

 learned why there was a scarcity of bees in the 

 hive. What should have constituted their increase, 

 had died in the cells ; none of them were removed, 

 consequently but few cells, where any bees could ba 

 matured, were left. 



