50 



before 1880. For several years subsequent to this date there was a great 

 rush into beekeeping, accompanied by a rapid spreading of disease, till in 

 1888 I do not think there was any part of the Dominion entirely free from 

 it. This, it is almost needless to sa}', had a disastrous effect on the industry 

 — large numbers giving it up. Commercial beekeeping from that time 

 remained more or less inactive until the Department of Agriculture took it 

 up and gave it support. This at once put new life into the industry, with 

 the result that it is rapidly developing into a very important one, and with 

 the very efficient Apiaries Act now in force it is expected that foul-brood,_ 

 which has been the greatest drawback to the industry in the past, will be 

 brought under control. 



Report on Specimens of Diseased Combs. 



In June, 1907, I received a request from Dr. E. F. Phillips, in charge of 

 Apiculture, United States of America, to forward him specimens of New 

 Zealand diseased combs for examination. Six specimens were sent in the 

 following August, three obtained from Southland, and three from Auckland 

 Province. They were typical specimens of the disease existing throughout 

 the Dominion. Subsequently I received the following report upon them,, 

 dated from Washington, D.C., 23rd November, 1907, and for which I thank 

 Dr. Phillips :— 



The six specimens of diseased brood which you sent, August 2nd, were 

 received, and 1 wish to make the following report on them : All these samples 

 showed the gross characters of American foul-brood, and all of them have 

 been examined bacteriologically. Bacillus larvm was found in the scales 

 of each, confirming the original diagnosis. You will be interested in know- 

 ing that in carrying out our experiments on this disease we have used, 

 among others, a pure culture of Bacillus larvce isolated from each of the 

 samples you sent. Cultures of Bacillus larvce from your samples have the 

 same cultural characters as those isolated from samples obtained heie. 

 Some of these cultures from your samples were fed to colonies, as described 

 in Circular No. 94 of this Bureau, with the result that the disease was pro- 

 duced as described in this publication. You are then able to say distinctly 

 that American foul-brood exists in New Zealand, and that it is caused by 

 Bacillus larval. 



State Legislation. 



The economic value of the bee-farming industry is now rceonnised in all 

 progressive countiies, and is reeei\'ing encouragement in some form in most 

 of them. The knowledge of losses sustained in the past through disease, 

 which to a large extent is preventable, and curable in its early stages, has- 

 caused an energetic movement in the direction of stamping it out, or, at all 

 events, in bringing it under control. 



New Zealand stands foremost in this respect, for there is no Apiaries 

 Act in existence at the present time so efficient for dealing with foul-brood 

 as our own. This is recognised by beekeepers in other countries as well 



