57 
MICHIGAN. 
CHAPTER LXII.—PREVENTION OF FOUL Broop AMONG BEES. 
The people of the State of Michigan enact: 
SecTion 1. That it shall be unlawful for any person to keep in his apiary any 
colony of bees affected with the contagious malady known as foul brood; and it 
_ shall be the duty of every beekeeper, as soon as he becomes aware of the existence 
of said disease among his bees, to forthwith destroy, or cause to be destroyed, by 
burning or interment, all colonies thus aiiected. 
Sec. 2. In any county of this State in which foul brood exists, or in which there 
are good reasons to believe it exists, it shall be lawful for any five or more actual 
beekeepers of said county to set forth such fact, belief, or apprehension in a petition 
addressed to the judge of probate, requiring him to appoint a competent commis- 
sioner to prevent the spread of said disease, and to eradicate the same; which peti- 
tion shall be filed with and become a part of the records of the court where such 
application is made. 
Sec. 3. It shall be the duty of the judge of probate, on the receipt of petition 
specified in section 2 of this act, to appoint within ten days thereafter a well known 
and competent beekeeper of said county as a commissioner, who shall hold his office 
during the pleasure of said court; and a record of such order of appointment, and 
revocation, when revoked, shall be filed as a part of the records of said court. 
Sec. 4. It shall be the duty of said commissioner, within ten days after his 
appointment as aforesaid, to file his acceptance of the same with the court from 
which he received his appointment. 
Sec. 5. Upon complaint of any three beekeepers of said county, in writing and on 
oath, to said commissioner, setting forth that said disease exists, or that they have 
reason to believe it exists within said county, designating the apiary or apiaries 
wherein they believe it to be, it shall become the duty of the commissioner, to whom 
such complaint is delivered, to proceed, without uunecessary delay, to examine the 
bees so designated; and if he shall become satisfied that any colony or colonies of 
said bees are diseased with foul brood, he shall, without further disturbance to said 
bees, fix some distinguishing mark upon each hive wherein exists said foul brood, 
and immediately notify the person to whom said bees belong, personally or by leav- 
ing a written notice at his place of residence, if he be a resident of such county; 
and if such owner be a nonresident of such county, then by leaving the same with 
the person in charge of such bees, requiring said person, within five days, Sundays 
excepted, from the date of said notice, to effectually remove or destroy said hives, 
together with their entire contents, by burying them or by fire; but in case no foul 
brood is found to exist in said apiary the persons so petitioning, or any of them, shall 
be liable to said commissioner fur the amount of his fees for such services. 
Sec. 6. If any person neglects to destroy, or cause to be destroyed, said hives and 
their contents in manner as described in section five, after due notification, and after 
the time above limited, he shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and on convic- 
tion thereof shall be punished by a fine not to exceed twenty-five dollars, or by 
imprisonment in the county jail not more than fifteen days, or both, in the discretion 
of the court, for the first offense; and for each additional offense he shall be liable 
to a fine not to exceed one hundred dollars, or imprisonment in the county jail not 
more than sixty days, or both, in the discretion of the court; and any justice of the 
peace of the township where said bees exist shall have jurisdiction thereof. 
Src. 7. The commissioner shall be allowed for services, under this act, two dollars 
for each full day actually employed, and one dollar for each half day actually 
employed, the account to be audited by the board of supervisors and paid in the 
same manner as all other county claims, but no fees shall be allowed by the board 
