INTRODUCTION 



By Sir E. J. Russell, D.Sc, F.R.S. 



The Conference at which the following papers were read was the 

 third of its kind held at Rothamsted. The Reports of the two previous 

 ones proved so acceptable to beekeepers that the editions were soon 

 exhausted ; a larger edition is being printed this time so as to avoid 

 this possibility. This Conference is in several ways far more 

 important than its predecessors : it gives the results of Dr. 

 Morgenthaler's wide experience on the subject, which he himself 

 came over to present ; it gives also the results of Scottish 

 experience, presented by Dr. Morison, and of American experience, 

 kindly contributed by Dr. Hambleton, who, although he could not 

 be here in person, sent his paper on to be read and printed. 

 Finally it sets out the results of an investigation made here on 

 Brood Diseases of bees by Dr. Tarr, in general consultation with Mr. 

 Morland and Dr. Williams, during the past three years. The work 

 was made possible by the co-operation of the Ministry of Agriculture 

 and the Agricultural Research Coimcil on the one hand, with the 

 Beekeepers' Associations working through the British Bee Keepers' 

 Association on the other : the first time such collaboration has been 

 possible, and a great tribute to the organising ability of the officers 

 of the various associations concerned. 



As a result of this work Dr. Tarr has been able to establish a 

 clear distinction between American Foul Brood and European 

 Foul Brood ; he has isolated and studied the organism (a bacterium) 

 responsible for the former and is well on the way to clearing up the 

 complexities of the latter ; he has shown that a third disease, the 

 so-called Addled Brood, is very prevalent, and has worked out its 

 cause and indicated a remedy. 



The work has been supervised on the beekeeping side by the 

 expert Bee Advisory Committee at Rothamsted and on the scientific 

 side by Dr. Williams and by Dr. Schiitze of the Bacteriological 

 Department of the Lister Institute. All the experts who have 

 examined the work agree that it is unusually good and that the 

 results can be accepted as trustworthy. 



It is hoped therefore that the investigations can be continued 

 and extended to other diseases of bees, particularly of adult bees. 



There is every reason why the work should go on. Interest in 

 beekeeping is undoubtedly increasing. There are no definite figures, 

 no census having been found practicable, but the increase is 

 undeniable. The reason is clear : beekeeping is a very interesting 

 activity for the amateur and a promising line for the professional. 



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