SAOBEOOD. 



41 



After periods reckoned in days inoculations of healthy colonies are 

 made. The following results have been obtained : 



Table VIII. — Length of time the virus of sacbrood remains virulent in honey. 



Date of Inoculation. 



June 17, 1915. 

 June 4, 1915.. 

 Oct. 2, 1915... 

 Sept. 3, 1915.. 

 July 29, 1915.. 

 June 30, 1915. 



Do 



July 17, 1915.. 

 Oct. 21, 1915.. 

 Sept. 8,1915.. 

 May 13, 1915.. 

 May 6, 1915... 

 May 4, 1915... 

 May 18, 1915.. 

 Sept. 3, 1915.. 



I Tlie dead brown liuval remains were not cruslied before being introduced into the honey. 



The experiments recorded in Table VIII show that the virus of 

 sacbrood when suspended in honey at room temperature remained 

 virulent for three weeks, but was entirely destroyed before the end 

 of the fifth week. It is most likely that the virus in most instances 

 is destroyed by the end of one month at this temperatiire. 



The experiments in which the virus had been allowed to remain 

 in the honey for more than seven months suggest that there is prob- 

 ably no resting stage of the virus to be considered in this connection. 

 The facts tend to indicate that the vkus does not receive any marked 

 amount of protection by being in honey. From the dates of the 

 experiments in this group it wiU be noted that the virus was sub- 

 jected to summer temperature. The evidence at hand indicates that 

 it remains virulent somewhat longer when the temperature is lower. 



RESISTANCE OF SACBROOD VIRUS TO THE PRESENCE OF FERMENTA- 



TIVE PROCESSES. 



Fermentation and putrefaction ^ are other means by which the 

 virus of sacbrood may be destroyed in water. A crushed and 

 strained mass of tissue from larvae recently dead of the disease is 

 suspended m a 10 per cent sugar (granulated or cane sugar) solution. 



1 "Fermentation" has reference here particularly to the breaking up of carbohydrate substances by 

 the growth of microorganisms, the sugars in honey being naturally the carbohydrates especially of mterest 

 in these discussions. The process results in the formation of a large number of suhstances-acids, alcohols, 

 etc. The odor accompanying such a process could not be called offensive. By the term "putrefaction" 

 is meant the breaking up of nitrogenous organic substances by microorganisms. These have a chemical 

 composition quite different from the carbohydrates. When broken up the resulting substances are more 

 often alkaline in nature. The odor from a suspension in which putrefactive processes are gomg on is 

 usually distinctly offensive. 



