GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



FIG. 1. PLAN OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE EGR BEE CULTURE AT ERLANGEN, GERMANY. 



1. Bees in hives of different styles; 2. Stocks of different races; 3. Stand of bees for exijeriments ; ' 

 4. Bees in skeps of diiferent styles; 5. Model bee-house; 6. Garden-house; 7. Museum; 8. Bed of spring 

 pasture; 9. Bed of summer pasture; 10. Watering-place for bees; 11. Late-flowering bee-plants; 12. Fruit- 

 trees; 13. Agricultural bee-plants; 14. Decoration bed; 15. Bed of plants to show relation between bees 

 and flowers; 16. Berry-trees; 17. Decoration bed; 18, 19. Bee flowers; 20. Students' bee-stand; 

 21. Meadow ground; 22. Corn-field; 23, 24. Industrial bee-plants. 



A MODEL INSTITUTE FOR SCIENTIFIC AND 

 PRACTICAL BEE CULTURE 



BY R. LINDE 



[ In America there are at least four universities 

 at the present time in which bee culture is featured 

 as an elective part of the regular course; viz., the 

 Ontario Agricultural College, the Wisconsin College 

 of Agriculture, the Massachusetts Agricultural Col- 

 lege, and the Agricultural and Mechanical College of 

 Texas. In our Oct. 1st issue were several pictures of 

 the buildings and equipment used in the study of bee- 

 keeping in Massachusetts. The following article 

 shows the extent to which beekeeping is taken up 

 in a prominent German university. — Ed. ] 



In Gleanings for Dec. 15 I endeavored 

 fo draw the attention of the fraternity 

 across the water to the work carried on at 

 the Royal Institute for Bee Culture in 

 Erlangen, Germany. It is my privilege 

 now to give a description of this institute, 

 showing how it is arranged and equipped. 



Erlangen is a small town in the kingdom 

 of Bavaria, the largest state in Germany 

 except Prussia. Erlangen seems to be note- 

 worthy on account of its university, to the 

 zoological institute of which the Royal In- 

 stitute for Bee Culture is linked. 



Formerly the institute was divided into 

 a scientific and a practical department ; but 

 that division does not seem to have been 

 of any advantage generally, for it has been 

 abolished. There are more places in Ger- 

 many where bee science is cultivated. How- 

 ever, at Erlangen beekeeping as a science 

 is brought into intimate contact with pvac- 

 tical bee culture. That is what distinguishes 

 the Royal Institute at Erlangen. So far 



as I can conceive, personal ambition (the 

 abscess on the body of German bee indus- 

 try) has no particular place at Erlangen, 

 where a most sincere desire to render use- 

 ful service to practical bee culture seems to 

 be the moving power in the main. 



GENERAL ARRANGEMENT. 



Fig. 1 shows a plan of the institute. The 

 laboratory, Fig. 2, being situated in the 

 building of the zoological institute, is thor- 

 oughly equii.>ped with the newest and best 

 instruments and ajDiDaratus for carrying out 

 zoological and bacteriological studies. An 

 interesting and very necessary implement 

 is the glass house. Figs. 3 and 4, ready for 

 use in the garden of the zoological institute. 

 This glazed bee-house supplies the bee- 

 material required during winter time, and 

 is divided into a small working room and 

 a large partition where the bees can take 

 their flight. Fig. 4 gives a view of the 

 inside of the bee partition. A few nuclei 

 in single-comb observatory hives are kept 

 here over winter. Branches of hazel, alder, 

 cherry, and similar trees are put into water 

 and come soon into bloom in the glass 

 house, the temperature of which is kept at 

 64 degrees F. The bees are eager to carry 

 in the pollen thus afforded. The glass house 

 is covered with dim glass, with the result 

 that the bees soon become accustomed to 

 the limited flying space. 



THE VEGETABLE BIOLOGICAL PLANT. 



This is a very interesting part of the 

 institute, and demonstrates the close rela- 



