A\'INTER AND SPRING WORK 57 



"With excellent prospects for a clover flow, it might pay to 

 feed for stimulation between the fruit bloom and clover so as to 

 hold brood rearing at its highest point and reach the main flow 

 with the largest possible number of bees. The draw- 

 backs to stimulative feeding should, however, be weighed care- 

 fully by the apiarist as the dangers of chilling brood through 

 over stimulatiorj are great. Extra cost of special trips to out- 

 yards must also be considered. Involved manipulation is neces- 

 sary. Stimulative feedmg is advisable mainly in locahties where 

 several weeks elapse without any bioom, after first bloom. 



Foulbrood 



With the coming of the first flow in spring it is essential that 

 all colonies be examined for foulbrood. Some localities are still 

 free from the disease, but we never know when it may appear 

 in our own yards from causes without. In spring a case of American 

 foulbrood develops rapidly, because the bees are then using up 

 the faulty stores for their brood, the colonj^ quickly dwindles, 

 and the stores, if any, are left at the mercy of the robbers who all 

 too quickly transmit the disease to their own young. Here again 

 the value of contraction of the entrance of weak colonies is evident, 

 since it gives the weak foulbrood colonies opportunity to 

 protect themselves until such a time as the beekeeper can 

 give proper treatment. 



With European as with American foulbrood the time to examine 

 colonies and treat them is as early in spring as possible. Proper 

 treatment before or at the beginning of the first flow often may 

 result in subsequent building up of the colony for flows to follow. 



The Hospital Yard 



A number of outapiarists practice with success the assembhng 

 of all colonies with American foulbrood into a single yard for 

 treatment. This has advantages which I believe overbalance 

 the disadvantages. 



