DISEASED BROOD. 
267 
MY OWN EXPERIENCE. 
My first experience will probably go back to a date 
beyond many others; it is almost twenty years since 
the first case was noticed. I had kept bees but four 
or five years when I discovered it in one of my best 
stocks ; in fact, it was No. 1 in May and first of June. It 
cast no swarm through the summer ; and now, instead 
of being crowded with bees, it contained but very 
few ; so few, that 1 dared not attempt to winter it. 
What was the matter? I had then never dreamed 
of ascertaining the condition of a stock while there 
were bees in the way, but was like the unskilful phy- 
sician who is obliged to wait for the death of his pa- 
tient, that he may dissect and discover the cause. I 
accordingly consigned what few bees there were to 
the “ brimstone pit.” 
DESCRIPTION OP DISEASE. 
A “ post mortem ” examination revealed the follow- 
ing circumstances : Nine-tenths of the breeding-cells 
were found to contain young bees in the larva state, 
stretched out at full length, sealed over, dead, black, 
putrid, and emitting a disagreeable stench. Now here 
was one link in the chain of cause and effect. I 
learned why there was a scarcity of bees in the 
hive. What should have constituted their increase, 
had died in the cells ; none of them were removed, 
consequently but few cells, where any bees could be 
matured, were left. 
