Foul Brood and its Treatment. BY THOS. WM. COWAN, Penleaze, Fowey, Cornwall. SINCE the formation of the British Bee-keepers' Association twenty-one years ago, the art of bee-keeping has made continued and steady progress. The Association was established for the purpose of advocating the more humane treatment of the honey-bee, and for bettering the condition of the cottagers of the country and of the rural population generally. Under its fostering care the pursuit has been raised from a mere amusement indulged in by a few amateurs or cottagers to an important industry, by means of which many persons have been able to add considerably to their incomes. It is safe to say that, owing to modern methods of management now prevailing, the amount of honey raised can be estimated at a hundredweight for every pound produced twenty years ago. The Royal Agricultural Society has done much to encourage bee-keeping, and the bee department at its annual Shows has uniformly attracted a considerable amount of public attention and interest. Amongst the minor industries connected with agriculture, there are few more interesting or more capable of profitable development than bee-keeping. In fact it may be safely said that, if properly managed, few, if any, of our minor industries can be made so generally remunerative. In times of acute agricultural depression the attention of our small farmers, and indeed of all who derive their income from the land, must be turned to such minor industries or branches of petite culture in the same way as on the Continent, otherwise we shall be left behind in the race of competition. The imports of foreign honey into the United Kingdom are very considerable, sometimes reaching the value of nine or ten thousand pounds sterling in one month. The imported article as a rule, however, bears no comparison with the superior quality of the honey raised in this country; but as the former is frequently sold as British honey, a serious injury is inflicted on the British producer. Regarding the capacity of the United Kingdom for honey production, there is pasturage at present for at least ten times as many hives as are now kept. Profitable as bee-keeping is with regard to the production of honey, the advantages which farmers derive from bees are much greater than is generally supposed. It is impossible to get perfect fruit and abundant crops without bees, consequently the indirect profit of bee-keeping in regard to our crops far exceeds the value of the products of the hive. In other words, the indirect benefits resulting to the fruit-grower far outweigh the visible results. If bees have free access to white clover in bloom, not only is the flow of honey rapid, but the effect on the crops grown for seed is still more remarkable by way of increasing the abundance of the yield of seed, com * From the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, Vol. vi. Part 4, 1895. D |