208 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 17, 1893. 
HU BBU-KUUPUR. 
NAPTHALINE AI^D FOUL BROOD. 
Under the above heading on page 73 of this year’s Journal I 
notice the following question asked by Mr. James Wilson, Dalmuir, 
“ Are the ingredients sold by the editors of some bee journals for 
foul brood to be depended upon ? ” The answer given by 
“ Lanarkshire ” in the same journal appears to me to be begging 
the question. He says, “ I am only too glad to say I do not know,” 
and the reason he gives for not knowing is, “ as I consider it much 
better to manage bees in a way that their combs and contents do 
not become predisposed to foul brood.” This, to many, may appear 
a wise thing to do, and so it would if it were possible, but it is not. 
Foul Brood. 
This is no new disease, for it is “ said to have been known to 
Aristotle.” At any rate, whether this was so or not, it has been 
known in Great Britain, in Germany, and many other parts of 
Europe for more than a hundred years, and no remedy on record 
was found to be successful. Since the introduction of the move- 
able comb system a better opportunity has arisen for ascertaining 
the condition of a colony of bees, and of intelligently examining 
those colonies that are not doing as well as could be wished. In 
skeps and box hives, with fixed combs, which were formerly almost 
universally used, it was next to impossible to examine a colony 
properly. Of course, by turning them up the strength of a colony 
could be ascertained and some idea formed of the well doing of 
the same, but the practised eye could tell all this on a fine day 
almost as well without looking into the hive. 
The Symptoms of Foul Brood. 
The first thing we notice is the decline in the prosperity of the 
colony, a falling off in the number of bees, and on an examination 
of the combs we find dark and sunken cells, many of them pierced 
with a pin hole in the centre of the capping ; the brood seems to 
putrefy in the cells, which generally contain a thick brownish ropy 
matter, that gives off a very disagreeable smell. By inserting the 
end of a lucifer match into the cell and twisting it round a nasty 
looking matter is drawn up, the other end appearing to adhere 
tightly to the bottom of the cell, and if left ultimately dries in the 
cell. If the disease is very bad a most offensive smell can be 
detected without opening the hive. Little brood is reared, the bees 
are in a desponding condition, and the little honey there is in the 
hive is soon taken from them by robber bees from prosperous colonies 
in the neighbourhood. The honey so taken contains the germs of 
foul brood, and in this way a whole district becomes infected. 
Preventives and Remedies. 
I would ask “ Lanarkshire ” if it is possible that he can 
“ manage bees in a way ” to prevent infection from this source. 
Some few years ago, it is said, “ Dzierzon, a celebrated German 
bee master, lost his whole apiary of 500 colonies ” by foul brood. 
“ Mr. E. Rood, first President of the Michigan Bee-keepers’ 
Association, lost all hi© hees two or three times by this terrible 
plague.” This is not a disease to he spoken of slightingly, or that 
can be “ stamped out ” in the ready way that “ Lanarkshire ” would 
have your readers believe. If he had lived in a neighbourhood in 
the midst of foul brood, and suffered from it as I have done, he 
would be glad “ to resort to one nostrum after another,” and try 
those remedies that had been found useful when carefully and 
intelligently applied. 
Napthaline and Napthol Beta. 
These have been experimented with both here and on the 
Continent, are easily used, and perfectly harmless, if the directions 
that are sent with each packet are followed out. “Lanarkshire” 
says, “the two first mentioned ingredients cost from 3s. to 4s. 
a pound.” This is a random statement, calculated to do harm, as 
they are, I believe, supplied at about one-fourth of the prices he 
names. These are not times to “ pooh-pooh ” the careful experi¬ 
ments of any persons whose practical and painful experiences 
have necessitated the adoption of the best known remedies for 
palliating such a baneful disease, and who, having found benefit 
therefrom, give others the advantage of their experience.— 
John M. Hooker. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Ketten Fibres, Luxembourg.— List of New Roses for 1892, 
John Laing &: Sons, Forest Hill, S.B.— Catalogue of Caladiums. 
Little and Ballantyne, Carlisle.— Catalogue of Farm Seeds. 
Cooper, Taber, & Co., 90, Southwark Street, London, S.E.— Agri¬ 
cultural Catalogue, 1892. 
William Paul & Co., Bridge of Weir, N.B.— Select List of Fansies. 
**’®A11 correspondence should be directed either to “ The 
Editor ” or to “ The Publisher.” Letters addressed to 
Dr. Hogg or members of the staff often remain unopened 
unavoidably. We request that no one will write privately 
to any of our correspondents, as doing so subjects them to 
unjustifiable trouble and expense. 
Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions 
relating to Gardening and those on Bee subjects, and should 
never send more than two or three questions at once. All 
articles intended for insertion should be written on one side of 
the paper only. We cannot reply to questions through the post,, 
and we do not undertake to return rejected communications- 
Books (A. R.). —The two books you desire have been forwarded to 
you ; respecting the other one mentioned in your letter we know nothing, 
and therefore cannot give the publisher’s name. Perhaps “ Oliver’s 
Elementary Botany,” published by Macmillan, price 4s. Gd., may suit you. 
Green riy on Gooseberry Bushes (J. M.'). —The bushes may be 
dusted whilst dormant and damp with mist, or after rain, with quick¬ 
lime. This has a good effect on the eggs, cleanses the trees of lichen 
and moss, and does good to the soil. Upon the first appearance of the 
aphides the bushes may be syringed with quassia water, 1 lb. of chips 
to 3 gallons of water ; let it stand twenty-four hours, and strain before 
use. Another plan is to use the following :—4 ozs. of quassia chips 
boiled a quarter of an hour in a gallon of water, adding 2 ozs. of 
softsoap whilst hot, dissolving it thoroughly, and straining. Both the 
preceding are best applied with a spraying nozzle, directing the spray 
upwards, so as to reach the under side of the leaves. A cheaper yet 
efficacious plan is to syringe the bushes with clear lime water, made by 
placing 1 lb. of quicklime in a tub with 3 gallons of water, stirring well 
together, letting stand twenty-four hours, then pour off the clear water, 
leaving the sediment. It is also a good plan to cut off the infested points 
of the shoots and burn them, thus clearing the bushes of many aphides. 
Marechal Nlel Bose In Greenhouse Injured by Frost 
{II. E.'). —The wood and bark of the shoot received are not injured by 
frost, but dried by evaporation taking place from the wood and leaves, 
and to such an extent as to place in jeopardy the part of the Eose 
within the house. The cause of the mischief is freezing the stem out¬ 
side the house, which cuts off the supply of sap, hence the flagging of 
the leaves and drying of the wood. We have had many similar cases 
through inefficient or improper covering of the outside stems both with 
Roses and Vines, but with no worse result than giving a severe check 
and loss of crop for the year. Where it occurs the stems have been 
bare on some part, the covering had become wet, or it was too thiii; 
thus the frost froze the fluids in the stem, and there is no remedy in 
that case but to cover the stem with dry material, and allow it to thaw 
gradually. We once had a Mardchal Niel in a greenhouse planted in a 
border outside at the east end, the stem taken inside, and this Eose 
covered a large portion of the roof, and promised an abundant crop of 
flowers. The stem outside was enwrapped in a hay band, which had 
afforded sufficient protection whilst dry, but it was saturated by the 
winter rains, and in spring a spell of severe weather set in, when, after 
a sharp night, the foliage became flaccid, and worse as the sun and light 
increased. It was an easy matter to syringe the Rose, to cover the roof 
with mats, and to syringe cold water on the hayband outside so as 
to slowly thaw the stem. This was effected in an hour or two, and the 
leaves rose at once, recovering their freshness; the old hayband was 
taken off. a new and dry one applied, and all went well. We fear 
the wood in your case is too much dried, but we should syringe the 
Eose two or three times a day, shading from hot sun, and it may recover. 
Wlreworms In Vine Border {Merchant'). —The best of all 
remedies is trapping. The following plan never fails :—Cut Carrots of 
1 inch or more in diameter into pieces of that length, thrust a pointed 
stick into each bait, having the stick about 6 inches long, and insert 
these baits in a hole about 3 inches deep, and large enough to admit a. 
little loose soil around them, covering lightly with soil. Examine the 
traps every morning ; and the wireworms, in mild weather, will be found; 
feeding on the Carrot, and are readily destroyed by cutting them in two 
with a small (4 inches) pruning scissors, or they may be collected in a, 
tin box and that emptied into the kitchen or other fire. The baits are 
easily withdrawn from the soil by the handles, which serve to indicate 
their position. Replace the baits, and continue them or fresh for a^ 
short time, when every wireworm will have been caught, for it is not 
possible to have a trap of this kind within a foot of the pest without its 
attacking it. Every square foot of the border should be baited in the 
manner indicated ; and, though the border swarm with click beetle 
larvre, the Carrots never fail to capture every one. But whence came 
the wireworms into the border ? It is contrary to our experience 
to find wireworms in Vine borders unless introduced in the soil, for 
they prey on herbaceous plants more than on the roots of ligneous 
plants, and exist only in Vine borders until they pass into skipjack 
