po 2 
a result of the inoculations. These colonies were inoculated about the 
mi oa lle of August, ten isolated individual larvae being inoculated with 
varying numbers of spores in each of the experimental colonies. In all 
but two or three colonies all the larvae were sealed over and developed 
normally and emerged as adult bees without development of the disease. 
Two or three cells of the entire lot inoculated were removed by the bees 
within 24 hours after inoculation. 
4 
The use is rapidly growing of package bees to secure adequate pol— 
lination and incréase in fruit prcduction in California, and quite 
widely in the United States for strengthening of weak colonies or for 
the establishment of new colonies. On the growth of this industry in 
California, E. L. Sechrist, of the Pacific Coast Bee Culture Laboratory, 
avis, Calif., gives the following statistics: " * * * in 1950" (hous 
Guction of package bees was 39,928 packages, weighing 272,496 pounds. 
Curing 1931 the prceduction dropped to 25,532 packages, weighing 178,724 
pounds. * * * the packages shipped were ne ea all three-pcund pack- 
ages. All of this business was with the Western States and Canada.” 
je ae eee nt reports that the experiments dealing with the 
Lor ican foulbrocd by package bees have been termin— 
on. He has been making cbservations on 24 colonies 
res taken the micdle of August from American foulbrocd 
colonies, in an effort to find out whether peckage bees from such col— 
cnies carry over the infection when allowed to develop into full colo-— 
nies. On a starvation diet bees wculd ordinarily consume the honey in 
about 48 hcecurs. In packages they are fed sugar sirup, and the ques— 
tion arose as to whether they carry the infection over for longer mana 
48 hcurs where ample focd is available at all times, making it at least 
theoretically possible to carry over some of the original infected 
honey. Final observations show that, with one or two exceptions, all 
colonies which built up during the past summer from packages shaken 
from infected colonies showed no signs of disease. Nevertheless, the 
colonies will be placed in winter quarters ard observations mede on 
them next year, as it often happens that disease, although present, May 
not be detectable until the second year. 
It has been a belief that commercial samples of honey were sel— 
dom responsible for the distribution of American fculbrocd. This be— 
lief receives confirmation in the following note from Mr. Sturtevant: 
"Examination of all commercial samples of honey on hand has been com— 
pleted. Of the 54 samples purchased on the open market during 1931, 
in only two was the presence of spores of Bacillus larvae demonstrated 
positively ... Of the total of 191 samples examined during 1930-1931, 
17, or 8.9 per cent, showed the presence of spores of Bacillus larvae on 
the microscopic examination." 
Mr. Sturtevant also reports: "Final observations (for 1931) on the 
flight range ard prcduction studies were meade during October. Of the 
66 colonies under chservation at Powell, Wyo., 35 colonies located from 
