BEE CULTURE. 227 



From the same, 1853 : — 



" Since Dzierzon's system has been made known, an entire 

 revolution in bee culture has been produced ; a new era has 

 been created for it, and bee-keepers are turning their attention 

 to it with renewed zeal." 



Many persons will be surprised to hear us talk of controlling 

 and handling bees, but to us they possess no terror ; by Lang- 

 stroth's method they seem to lose all desire to sting. It is 

 simply this : When you wish to perform any operation on bees, 

 open your hive, (his hive opens at the top,) and sprinkle them 

 with water made very sweet with sugar or honey ; as the bee 

 can never resist the inclination to take any thing sweet, any more 

 than the drinker can his dram, they forget their anger and fill 

 themselves with sweets, and this puts them in so comfortable 

 a frame of mind, that they allow themselves to be handled 

 without resenting it, if you do not hurt them. Bee-keepers 

 have always known that bees were not inclined to sting when 

 swarming, but no one knew why. Langstroth discovered that 

 it is because the bees have taken in a supply of honey to com- 

 mence work in the new home. Every one knows that a quar- 

 relsome man is better natured after dinner than before ; so with 

 the bees, when gorged with honey, they have an amiable 

 disposition. But a new kind of bee has lately been introduced, 

 said to be much more docile, under any circumstances than the 

 common bee; and this is the Italian bee. Aristotle and Virgil 

 both speak of this bee, but it has been comparatively unknown 

 till within a few years. After a lapse of two thousand years, 

 it is receiving considerable attention both in this country and 

 in Europe. It is claimed that the Italian queen retains her 

 fertility much longer than the common queen, and is more 

 prolific ; that the Italians are more industrious than the com- 

 mon bee, produce more swarms and more honey, commence 

 earlier in the spring, and work later in the season than the 

 common bee ; they are undoubtedly an improvement, but the 

 price at which they are sold has deterred many from obtaining 

 them. The price for an Italian queen has been ten dollars. 

 As the Irishman said, " too much money for so' little meat ; " 

 but probably before many years the price will be so reduced as 

 to bring them within the reach of all bee-keepers. There are 



