The Florida agriculturist., 1878-11-06

"A
inc was deemed Of SO much impor-
tance that in some places laws were
enacted rendering it imperative on
every cottager, to keep at least three
hives of bees, or in lieu thereof to
nav certain fine into thei treasury
fn England large rewards were Civ
on for the finest display of honey and
bees.wax of ones own raising, and
obtained without sacrificing the lives
of the bees. Prominent men wrote
hooks on the subject designed entire
Iv for the benefit of the cottagers, and
the same unselfish course is still pur-
sued in Europe.
A brief mention OF some OF the
most useful inventions and discover
les must close our notice of the prog
ress of bee. culture in Europe. Dziert-
zon discovered the parthencgenesis
of the queen bee, and Siebold, Leu
kart, Berlepsch and other eminent
German naturalists demonstrated it.
Dziertzon also discovered flour to be
a substitute for pollen. Mehring
made the first artificial honey comb
foundation. Major Won hruschka
invented the honey extractor. The
inventions of bellows smokers adapt
ed to the apiary, have been used in
all parts of Europe for the past one
hundred years or more. Some had
straight and some bent nozzles, and
some of the nozzles were hinged to
the bellows and were turned at right
ANGLES for draft when not in use, and
also to receive the materials for the
smoke. These might have been ap-
propriately called, breech leaders.
Reaumer first describes artificial
fertilization or queens in confinement.
His experiment called the "Amours
of the Queen Bee," made under a
glass vessel with the drones, is ex-
ceedingly funny and sounds very
modern, but is too lengthy for inser-
ton in this notice.
Bees came with the Pilgrim Faith
ers to America, and were carried by
az !, '.sss, s,s,isss,aarssa alaaEls..ullntl
portion Of the Western Continent,
but owing to the many tolls and
cares incident to the development of
new country, together with their
lack Of knowledge of the subject,
little attention was paid to bees until
within the past thirty or forty years.
The first record of movable frame
hive in America may be found in the
Cultiyator, for June, 1910, by Solon
Robinson, now of Jacksonville, Flor
ida. The second invention may be
found in the Scientific american for
March 9th, 1S47. The inventor, Mr..
Shaw, of Hinckly, Ohio, l believe is
still living. Movable frames were
also used by Marcus Robinson, at ia
maica Plains, Massachusetts, in 1648,
and varied in no respect from the
Laugstroth frame and hive. This on
the affidavit Of fSolon Robinson.
The same style of frame was used
about the same time at Danvers, Mas
sachusetts, as per the affidavit OF Mr..
Putnam, of Galesburg. Illinois.
These afidavits are Oh record in the
office of the Hon. A. T. Perry, cor
ner OF Main and Third streets, Gin
cinnati, Ohio.
HARRISON, Townley, Flander, Met
calf and some others claim to, have
known of movable frame hives
between 1915 and 1850. A few
books were written on bees about
this time, but possessed but little
merit either in theory or practice.
About 1852 the Rev. T.. L. Langs-
troth patented the hive which still
bears his name and which many
prominent bee-keepers still use with
but slight notifications. This gen.
tleman took hold of the matter in
earnest. He sold large portions OF
the territory covered by his patent
to influential and wealthy men who,
in connection with himself, intro
duced the hive far and wide and
thus demonstrated that a patent is
not necessarily an evil, as many
seem to suppose, for it proved, in his
hands, powerful means of advanc.
ing the true science of bee culture.
This he soon followed up with his
book "The Hive and the Honey
Bee" which is perhaps, the most
complete and scholarly production
of its kind ever written in any age
or country. and shows its author ia