210 FERTILIZATION IN CONFINEMENT. 



tructive to this foreign growth, if properly applied. Yet some, among 

 •whom is John Hunter, state that it has failed with them in effecting 

 a cure. 



From what we have been able to learn of the disease, we believe that 

 the ordinary type may be cured by the application of the acid as recom- 

 mended by Mr. Muth, of Cincinnati, as follows : Make a solution of 

 128 grains of salicylic acid, 128 grains soda borax, 16 ounces of water, 

 [distillled preferred.] Spray this solution on the combs containing 

 brood, after uncapping cells that are sealed. The solution does not in- 

 jure the bees, but seems to kill the spores of the disease. The spores 

 find their way into the honey and the disease is spread among bees that 

 cat of the honey from an affected hive. Doubtless robber bees help to 

 scatter the disease . It is well in severe cases to remove the bees from 

 the honey for three or four days and then place them in another hive. 

 Remove all affected combs to a single hive. If possible remove the 

 queen, and the bees will clear out the combs. If it is desirable, sprinkle 

 a second time with the salicylic acid mixture. But in case the disease 

 seems to be of a very malignant type it may be best, if this remedy fails, 

 and the bees deprived of their queen do not clean up the comb, to drive 

 out the bees and after three or four days put them into new hives, and 

 then use the heroic treatment; burying all the affected combs and 

 thoroughly washing the hives with some disinfectant before being used. 



FERTILIZATION IN CONFINEMENT. 



As queens are fertilized on tne wing, every person who has reared 

 Italian queens knows the difficulty of getting them purely mated, as they 

 often meet black drones from distant apiaries. This trouble interferes 

 much with the business ef queen rearing, since the bee master must 

 wait several weeks to test the purity of a queen before sending her out, 



