DISEASED BROOD. 311 



■VVnEKE ICOUND. 



It now seems to be prevalent through nearly all of N. 

 T., most of tlie Eastern States and in some parts of Ohio 

 and Pa. In the great California bee-fever a great many 

 diseased stocks were bought up for shipment, by specu- 

 lators, who were perfectly ignorant of its nature, which re- 

 sulted in spreading it through that State. Loud complaints 

 came back against unprincipled bee-keepers, attributing 

 blame where it did not always belong. Whether it has in- 

 creased or diminished within the last year or two, I have 

 not been informed. 



WHEN FIEST DISOOVEEED. 



My first experience will i)robably go back to a date 

 beyond that of many others. It is now thirty years ago 

 since I noticed the first case. I had kept bees but four or 

 five years when I discovered it in one of my best stocks. 

 It cast no swarm through the summer, and in September, 

 instead of being crowded with bees, contained 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 wh^e there were bees in the way, but 

 was like the unskilfuU physician, who is obliged to wait 

 for the death of his patient, that he may dissect and discover 

 the cause. I accordingly consigned the few remaining 

 bees to the " brimstone pit." 



DESCRIPTION. 



A post-mortem examination revealed the following state 

 of things. Nine-tenths of the breeding- cells contained 

 young bees in the larva state, stretched out at full length, 

 sealed over, dead, black, putrid, and emitting a disagree- 

 able smell. 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 



