214 DISEASED BEOOD. 



ferent jiapeis, on this subject, and nearly all who assign a 

 cause have given this as the most probable. One says that 

 wintering in the house, and then suddenly transferring to 

 the open air, chills the brood. Now I have known the 

 bee in a chrysalis state, in a few stocks, to be chilled and 

 destroyed by a sudden turn of cold weather, yet these 

 were removed by the bees soon after, and the stocks re- 

 mained healthy. To me, the cause assigned seems inade 

 quate to produce all the observed results. After close, pa 

 tient observation for thirty years, I have never yet been 

 wholly satisfied that any one instance of diseased brood 

 among my bees, was thus jsroduced. 



We are all familiar to some extent with the contagious 

 diseases of the human family, such as small-pox, measles, 

 etc., and their ra23id spread from a given point. We must 

 admit that some cause or causes adequate to the effect, 

 must have produced the first case. To contagion, then, I 

 would attribute the spread of this disease of our bees, 

 in nineteen cases in twenty. I will admit that one 

 stock in twenty or fifty may be affected by a chill 

 to some extent. It is only a portion of brood that 

 is in danger. Only such as have been sealed over, and 

 liave not progressed to the chrysalis state are attacked. 

 How many then can there be in a hive, at any one 

 time in just the right stage of development to receive 

 the fatal chill ? Of course there will be some, but they will 

 be confined to the cells near the bottom, where the bees 

 have left them exposed. This small number would never 

 seriously damage the stock, if the disease did not spread. 

 Why does it, then, when thoroughly started, spread so rap- 

 idly through all the combs in the hive ? Will it be said 

 that the chill is repeated every few days through the sum- 

 mer? Or must it not be admitted that something else 

 may continue it ? I think that in most cases, there must 

 be other causes, besides the chill, to even ori<rinate it. 



