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TENNESSEE AGRICULTURE 



The reports of contagious bee diseases were surprisingly few. The 

 State is blessed in having so little of the foul brood diseases. How- 

 ever, these diseases are in the State and will spread rapidly until the 

 industry will be ruined if not kept in check. In my lectures, literature 

 and correspondence I urged the people to report their troubles, and 

 to the calls that came in I gave the needed attention. During the year 

 inspection work was done in 40 apiaries containing all together over 

 1,500 colonies. Disease was found in 23 of these apiaries and the 

 orthodox treatment instituted as the cases demanded. In each case 

 instruction as to symptoms, treatment, precautions, etc., were given 

 as a safeguard in the future. The brood diseases were found almost 

 exclusively around the cities and larger towns. To these places the 

 diseases must have been carried from diseased districts in the mar- 





Queen Breeding Yard of Curd Walker, Jellico, Tenn. 



keted honey. To control this source of infection is an unsolved prob- 

 lem. Careful inspections werp given the queen breeding yards of the 

 State, which necessitated trips that extended from Cocke County in 

 East Tennessee to Shelby County in West Tennessee. I am pleased 

 to report all the queen yards free of disease. 



Ignorance and bee diseases are at the foundation of all the bee- 

 keeper's troubles and "bad luck." Educate him in better methods- 

 show him how to recognize diseases ; teach him how to treat and guard 

 against them, and real progress will have been made. Inspection work 

 IS of prime importance, still it should be the gateway for that edu- 

 cational work that will lead to a general betterment of the beekeeping 

 ^"^"'^''y- Respectfully submitted, 



Dr. J. S. Ward, 

 State Inspector of Apiaries. 



