The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1871-04-28

THE HONEY BEE.
A History of Its Improved Culture.

Mr.. PRESIDENT: Bees have been
kept for profit, pleasure and as
means of regaining health, from the
earliest record of history.
Their peculiarities have attracted
the attention Of the naturalist and
a rich field for contempla-
ton and thought. They have dis
covered and classified twelve differ
ent varieties of the honey bee, of
which we propose to speak only of
those which have gained practical
of value to the aparian.
Aristotle speaks of three different
species of the honey bee as well
known in his day, the best variety
as being small and varigated in color. |
Virgil Georgian Lib. iv: 9S. J speaks
of two varieties as fourishing in his
time. The better of the two Yarie- |
ties he characterizcs as spotted or
varigated, and of a beautiful golden |
color. The attention of Leekeepers
has recently been called to this vari-
ETY. of the honey bee, which, after q
lapse of more than two thousand
years, still remain pure and distinct
from the common kinds. The Bee
keepers Journal speaks of the origin
of the Legurian bee thus:
"This variety Of the honey bee,
now Known as the italian Bee,' is
found in small districts among the
Alps, embracing parts of Switzer-
land and Northern Italy. They are
of a striped golden color, as des-
cribed by Aristotle, Virgil, and 9th
er ancient writers, and the most val
liable kind known, but for centuries
they were unknown outside Of the
district above named, the surround
ing mountains, covered with per
petual snow, being impassable by
their wings. They were accident
ally discovered by Captain Baden
stein during the wars of Napoleon,
who carried the first colony across
the Alps in 1843. In 1858 they
were imported by Dzierzen into
Germany, and into the United States
in 1860"
There have since been many i'm
portatlons. We were slow to be-
lieve all the good things said by our
German aparians, until convinced
of their superiority by the universal
testimony of prominent American
beekeepers, coupled with our own
experience.
From the days of Aristotle and
Virgil down to the middle of the
eighteenth century no marked i'm
provements in agriculture had been
made. The coarsest kind of a hive
for their domicil, and the birthstone
match, unfeelingly applied, to rob
them gof their hard earned treasure,
was alike the common fate of all.
About the middle of the eighteenth
century one Francis Huber, a native
of Genoa, born Of literary distinc-
tion and scientifi notoriety, early in
life became interested in the study
of natural history, the results of
which has given him such world
wide reputation. He selected as an
object of special study the honey
bee. Notwithstanding the total
blindness with which he was afflicted
in early life, and from which he
never recovered, his investigations
were carried on with so much ardor,
minuteness and success that our
apiarians of this later age have
found but little to add to his fund of
scientific research. He invented the
movable comb and observatory hive,
crude in form, yet sufficient to OBJ
tain a correct knowledge Of the laws
by which the economy Of the hive is
regulated and controlled, and says:
Comply with these, and you reap a
golden harvest; disregard them, and
disappointment and loss are the in
evitable results"
He wrote digest of his expert
ments in 1892, reprinted in 1896, and
in 1914, under the title "Novelles
Observations" with enlarged edi-
tions, assisted by his son Pierrie
Huber, who was also an acknowled
naturalist, as his many valuable pa
pers yet extant doth abundantly
testify. 1t was thus that Francis
Huber lived and labored until at
Lausanns, on the 21st of December,
1881, he quietly breathed his last in
the arms of his daughter, Madam de
Malin, at the age of 81 years.
In the meantime his wonderful dis
Icoveries and unparalleled success had
so aroused the German intellect that
a complete revolution was worked
throughout Europe. The govern
ment appropriated money for inves-
tigation. The hoarns of education
adopted the investigation, and to-
day agriculture receives the same
support and protection from most o1
the European powers that the science
of Agriculture does. And the per
son who has not acquired a practi-
cal knowledge of agricultural science
is not counted qualified and fin
ished teacher.
Of more recent date we find one
John Dzeierzon, a Sicilian by birth
and for thirty years an assistant
Catholic priest at Ksrles Market, his
own home. As the first of German
apiarians, particularly blest with tai
tents for beekeeping, and commenc-
ling where Huber left off, he has
made many valuable improvements
such as perfecting the hive, invent
ling the honey extractor and intro
lducing the italian bee into Germany
&c, which has placed Germany frs
on the list of nations in apicultufa
science.
AS leading spirit in American
agriculture, we will introduce Rev. L
IL. Sangstroth, German by birth
a minister of the gospel 0y profess
ion, and in the language Of E.Val
Slike would say: "To Mr.. Lang
stroth solely belongs the honors 0
introducing the movable comb hiv,
to the American public, and tn
} honor of being its inventor. Gu
beekeepers of science and worth haC
hitherto only knocked at the door 0
the "Temple of Apis" as they sough
entrance and light. 1t remained 70
Mr.. Langstrotb to find the key, IN
lock the door and by the bodies
coup de etat confront the Queen up
t on her throne, and bid her tell he
r lineage and power. His genius thu