68 



'pmm MidURicsH mmm j®vimmmi^. 



I^an^strotli on the Hive and 

 Honey-Bee, revised, enlarged, and com- 

 pleted by Chas. Dadant & Son. This is tlie 

 title of the new edition of the Langstroth 

 book, just published by Dadant & Son, at 

 Hamilton, Ills. 



The first edition of Mr. Langstroth's work 

 was published in 18.53. The last revision 

 was made in 18.59, and now after 30 years, 

 during which time more has been done to 

 make bee-culture thoroughly practical than 

 in a century previously, another revision 

 has become necessary, and we are glad to 

 know that it has been done so thoroughly 

 by those eminently practical apiarists, 

 Messrs. Charles Dadant & Son. Former 

 editions have sold rapidly, and so will the 

 present one. It is beautifully printed, em- 

 bellished with 18 full-page plates, and 197 

 engravings, forming a handsome volume of 

 over 500 pages. 



The first chapter is devoted to the " Phys- 

 iology of the Honey-Bee," and covers the 

 entire subject in a very interesting and in- 

 structive manner. On the matter of " color 

 and odor" as a means of attracting bees, it 

 avers that both attract the bees, but con- 

 tends that " the smell of honey is certainly 

 the main attraction." It asserts that " this 

 attraction is so powerful, that frequently at 

 day-break in the summer, the bees will be 

 found in full flight, gathering the honey 

 which has been secreted in the night, when 

 nothing on the preceding evening could 

 have predicted such a crop ; this happens 

 especially when there is a production of 

 honey-dew after a storm." 



The antennse, its nerve structures, hairs, 

 etc., are illustrated, and the same view is 

 taken as in Cheshire's work, viz : that both 

 the organs of hearing and smelling are 

 found in the antennaa— the one being called 

 the "smell-hollows," and the other the 

 " ear-holes." Our author claims that they 

 can smell honey a mile away. To remove 

 the antennai, therefore, is to deprive bees of 

 their intellect. 



Chapter II treats of wax, propolis, etc. ; 

 Chapter III of honey, pollen, etc. ; and 

 Chapter IV of bee-hives. Here are illus- 

 trated and described many of the hives in 

 use from the earthen hives of Africa to the 

 movable-frame hives of America ; including 

 the straw hives of Europe, and the observ- 

 ing hives for exhibitions. 



Chapter V treats of the popular manage- 

 ment of bees, and the aids thereto, such as 

 smokers, veils, etc. The stinging propensi- 

 ties of bees, and the remedies for the poison 

 when injected into the human system, are 

 also described in this chapter. 



Swarming and Dividing occupy the sixth 

 and seventh Chapters. Full and explicit 

 directions are given for the complete and 

 economic management of the apiary during 

 the very important period of swarming. 

 The making of nuclei is considered, and 

 this leads us to queen-rearing, to which 

 Chapter VIII is devoted. 



On the races of bees, Chapter IX gives 

 the history of their introduction into Amer- 

 ica ; the different varieties are described, 

 and the preference is given to the Italians, 

 in these words : 



"The great superiority of this race over 

 any other race known, is now universally 

 acknowledged ; for it has victoriously stood 

 the test of practical bee-keepers, side by 

 side with the common bees. The ultimate 

 superseding of the common bee by the Ital- 

 ians, in this country, is but a matter of 

 time." 



Chapter X treats of the location of the 

 apiary, the transferring of bees to movable- 

 comb hives ; the construction and use of 

 honey-houses, etc., while the " Shipping 

 and Transporting of Bees " is the subject- 

 matter of Chapter XI. 



When, What, and How to Feed Bees oc- 

 cupy Chapter XII. Then follow Chapters 

 devoted to Wintering, Robbing, Comb Foun- 

 dation, Pasturage and Overstocking, Comb 

 and Extracted Honey, Diseases of Bees, 

 Enemies of Bees, etc. 



Chapter XX is devoted to the Handling 

 and Marketing of Honey, and its uses for 

 both food and medicine. It is claimed, and 

 very rightly too, that during the past few 

 years the increase of honey-production has 

 been such that the "consumption has barely 

 kept pace with it." The revisers also take 

 this hopeful view of the situation : " But it 

 will soon take its rank among necessities, 

 like butter or syrups, and change from 

 a luxury to a staple." 



Happily for honey-producers the day for 

 adulteration is past, and on page 484 we read 

 this characteristic paragraph : 



" The present low prices have put an end 



to adulteration, for a fair grade of honey 



can now be bought as cheaply at wholesale 

 as the vile, unhealthy compound, adorned 

 with the names of golden syrup, golden 

 drip, etc." 



The authors then poke a little fun at the 

 ridiculous canards about "the Wiley lie, 

 concerning the manufacture of comb honey 

 by machinery," and of adulterating liquid 

 honey with glucose, which will cost at 

 wholesale more than the honey sought to 

 be adulterated. They sarcastically say, on 

 page 480, that it is more likely that glucose 

 will be adulterated with honey, than the 

 opposite ! 



On page 493 a quotation is given from our 

 pamphlet on "Honey as Food and Medi- 

 cine," concerning the value of honey as a 

 means of building up wasted tissues, and 

 brightening the intellect, and then our au- 

 thors remark thus : " These words are so 

 true that we have found them translated in 

 European books, by noted apiarists." Then 

 follows a number of useful receipts for 

 honey comestibles and medicines. 



" Beeswax and its Uses " being the title 

 of Chapter XXI, directions are given for 

 the production of beeswax, and the many 

 uses for it are enumerated, and receipts 

 given for salves, mixtures, etc. 



The last two chapters are devoted to 

 "Bees, Fruits and Flowers," and "Bee- 

 Keepers' Calendar, Mistakes and Axioms." 

 In the former is shown the great value of ' 



bees to fruit trees, in fructifying the flowers 

 and increasing the quantity and quality of 

 the fruit. 



It also endorses the work of the "Na- 

 tional Bee-Keepers' Union," and adds : 

 " Some such association is as necessary to 

 beekeepers as are Trades-Unions to any 

 group of laborers—" United we stand ; 

 divided we fall." 



One peculiarity of this excellent book is 

 very rare and well worth metiouing. It not 

 only has a copious Index at the end, but a 

 "Table of Contents" at the beginning, re- 

 ferring to the various subjects by bold-face 

 figures (thus C8?) corresponding to similar 

 figures in the body of the work (thus 710), 

 by means of which one may find any item 

 desired (087) in an instant. 



By means of these figures the reader is 

 carried from one portion of the book to 

 another, and enabled to " take in " all that 

 is said upon that subject without losing in- 

 terest therein, or consuming time to find 

 the different matters referred to— making it 

 as interesting as a novel ; and at the same 

 time as concise as historical adventures, and 

 as complete and perfect as a book of laws. 



Take it all in all, this book (Langstroth 

 Revised) is a treasure-house of precious 

 gems— as vast as the pursuit, and as valua- 

 hleto apiarists generally as the hoarded 

 wealth of an empire to its patriots and 

 statesmen ! 



We can furnish this book by return mail 

 for $2.00, the publishers' price. This book 

 and the Amerioax Bee Journai, for one 

 year for S2.75, it sent direct to this ofBce. 



We have Received many nice 

 notices of the Ajlerican Bee Journai, 

 during the past few weeks, but the follow- 

 ing are unique and racy : 



Every one in any way interested in bees 

 and the production of honey should have 

 the Amekican Bee Joui;nal. It is law 

 and gospel on these subjects, stable as the 

 hills, right up to the times, and only one 

 dollar a year.— Jounwf, Lewiston, Maine. 



The American Bee Journal Is pub- 

 lished weekly, and is original. It is oflener 

 quoted, perhaps, than any other authority, 

 and its testimony is reliable. Good bee- 

 keepers should subscribe for it if they want 

 to keep posted on their business.— Cotorado 

 Farmer. 



Convention iVotlces. 



Z^" There will be a meetiriK of the Susquehanna 

 County Bee-Keepers'. Vssociation at the Court House 

 in Montrose, Pa., on Saturday, May 4, lH^9,at to a.m. 

 H. M. Seelet, Sec. 



I^" The Northeastern Michigan Bee-Keepers' As- 

 sociation will hold its annual convention on Feb. t>, 

 1S89, at the Dayton Hotel in Flint. Micli .at li) a.m. 

 W. Z. Hutchinson, Sec. 



tW The Northeastern Ohio. Northern Pennsylva- 

 nia and Western New Yoric Bee-Keepers' Associa- 

 tion will hold its tenth annual convention in the 

 City Hall at Franklin. Pa., on Wednesday and Thurs- 

 day, Jan. 30 and 31. issy. Good hotel accommoda- 

 tions have been secured at one dollar per day. 



C. H. Coon. Sec. 



8:^" The nth annual session of the Tex-as State 

 Bee-Keepers' Association will be held in the apiary 

 of \V. K. Graham, of Greenville. Hunt Co., Te.x., on 

 May 1 and 2, 1H8U. At) bee-keepers are Invited. The 

 last meeting was held here last May, and was the 

 best ever held. So we look forward to a good time 

 next May. A cordial welcome and hospitality will 

 be tendered to all who come. G. A. Wilson, Sec. 



