102 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



difference of principle in all the var- 

 ious styles of frames in common use. 

 When, however, it becomes general- 

 ly known just what the invention of 

 Mr. Langstroth really was, the 

 mystery will be cleared up to the 

 satisfaction of all. I shall make 

 it the purpose of this article to ex- 

 plain briefly just what part the Rev. 

 L. L. Langstroth did bear in 

 inventing and introducing mov- 

 able frames, hoping that such in- 

 formation will prove interesting as 

 well as instructive. 



Prior to the years 1851-2, no 

 really movable frames were in use 

 in this or any other country, the 

 nearest approach thereto being the 

 leaf-hive of Huber, which was a 

 series of frames hinged together 

 so as to open and shut like the 

 leaves of a book, and the bar 

 used by Dzierzon, in a side open- 

 ing hive ; in using this bar, how- 

 ever, the attachments of the comb 

 had to be cut from the sides of the 

 hive every time a sheet of comb 

 was removed. Munn, it is true, 

 did invent a frame to be used in 

 hives, but it took but a few days' 

 use with a colony of bees to show 

 that by aid of propolis his frame 

 was immovable rather than other- 

 wise. In 1852 the Rev. L. L. 

 Langstroth perfected the principle 

 on which he had for a long time 

 been engaged, and gave to the 

 world the hanging^ sectional, 

 movable frame. This was the first 

 movable frame that was worthy of 

 the name. Munn's frame was only 

 movable when not in use ; Dzier- 

 zon's was not a frame at all, but a 

 top-bar only, with a sheet of comb 



attached to it, and could only be 

 rightly termed a movable comb. 

 I have noticed recently that this 

 play upon words, by assuming 

 " movable combs" to be synony- 

 mous with " moval)le frames," has 

 caused a certain society of bee- 

 keepers to assert by vote, that 

 Langstroth was not the originator 

 of movable frames, and that the 

 honor belongs to Dzierzon. Votes 

 of societies may have some efl'ect 

 upon the public mind, but it would 

 require more than the vote of one 

 society to give an honor to Dzier- 

 zon which he has expressly stated 

 does not belong to him, and which 

 he has also expressl^'^ stated does 

 belong to the Rev. L. L. Lang- 

 stroth. 



This idea of hanging frames on 

 rabbets inside the hive is so simple, 

 that it seems very strange it was 

 not originated long, long years 

 ago ; but each day and generation 

 produces its own work, and it re- 

 mained for Mr. Langstroth to per- 

 fect the idea, and thus perform 

 his share of the labor required to 

 raise apiculture from a low plane 

 to a high position among the im- 

 portant industries of the world. 

 That Mr. Langstroth performed 

 his work thoroughly and well, in 

 his invention of the hanging- 

 frame, may be shown by the fact, 

 that no change for the better has 

 been made in it since its first in- 

 troduction. As Mr. Langstroth 

 used it and recommended its use 

 to others, it was in the same form 

 now known as the standard Lang- 

 stroth frame. Dr. Gallup and oth- 

 ers thouo'ht that form of frame 



