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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAIi 



The Dzierzon Theory. | 



Dear Editou:— I am but a besiuner in 

 bee-keeping, and I see in Tue Journal 

 that you often speak about -'the Dzierzon 

 theory." Will you oblige me and others by 

 Hiving a synopsis of that theory in Ihe 

 Journal? Julius Johnson. | 



The "Dzierzon theory" was by the Baron 

 of Berlepsch formulated into tiiirteen pro- | 

 positions, which are as follows: ! 



First.— A colony of bees in its norinal ^ 

 condition, consists of three characteristi- 

 cally ditferent kinds of individuals— the , 

 queen, workers, and (at certain periods) the | 

 drones. I 



Second.- In the normal condition of a { 

 colony, the queen is the only perfect temale | 

 present in the hive, and lays all the eggs 

 found therein. These eggs are male and i 

 female. From the former proceed the 1 

 drones: from the latter, if laid in narrow 

 cells, proceed the workers or undeveloped 

 females; and from them also, if laid in 

 wider, acorn-shaped, and vertically sus- 

 pended, so-called royal cells, lavishly sup- 

 plied with a peculiar pabulum or jelly, pro- 

 ceed the queens. 



Thirb.— The queen possesses the ability 

 to lav male or female eggs at pleasure, as 

 the particular cell she is at any tune sup- 

 plying may require. 



Fourth.— in order to become qualified to 

 lay bom male and female eggs, the queen 

 must be fecundated by a drone or male bee. 

 Fifth — Tiic reciiinlation of the queen is 

 always effectcil outside of the hive, in the 

 open air, and while on the wing. Conse- 

 quentlv, in order to become fully fertile, 

 that is," capable of laying both male and te- 

 male eggs, the queen must leave her hive at 

 least once. ^ , ^. ,, 



Sixth.— In the act of copulation the gen- 

 italia of the drone enter the vulva ot the 

 queen, and the drone simultaneously 

 perishes. , , . „ , , 



Seventh.— The fecundation of the queen 

 once accomplished, is efficacious during her 

 life, or so long as she remains healthy and 

 vigorous; and she never afterwards leaves 

 the hive, except when issuing with a 

 swarm. ^ ,, . , 



Eighth.— The ovary of the queen is not 

 impregnated in copulation; but a sniall 

 vesicle or sac situated near the termination 

 of the oviduct, and communicating there- 

 with, becomes charged with the semen ot 

 the drone. . ^ , . ,, 



Ninth.— All eggs germinated in the ovary 

 of the queen, tend to develop as males, and 

 do develop as such, unless impregnate<r by 

 the male sperm while passing the mouth ot 

 the seminal sac or spermatheca, when des- 

 cending the oviduct. If they be thus im- 

 pregnated in their downward passage 

 (which impregnation the queen can ettect 

 or omit at pleasure) they develop as fe- 

 males. . . , , 

 Tenth.— If a queen remains unfecundat- 

 ed, she ordinarily does not lay eggs. Still, 

 exceptional cases do sometimes occur, and 

 the eggs then laid produce drones oidy. 



F^LEVKNTH.--If, in conseciuence of super- 

 annuation, the contents of the spermatheca 

 of a fecundated mieen become exhausted; 

 or if from enervation or accident, she loses 



the power of using the muscles connected 

 with the spermatheca, so as to be unable to 

 impregnate the passing egg,she will thence- 

 forward lay drone eggs only. 



TwELTii.— As some unfecundated queens 

 occasionally lay drone eggs, so also, in 

 queenless colonies, no longer having the 

 requisite means of rearing a queen, common 

 workers are sometimes found, that lay eggs 

 from which drones, and drones only, pro- 

 ceed. These workers are likewise unte- 

 cuudated; and the eggs are uniformly laid 

 by some individual bee, regarded more or 

 less, by her companions as their queen. 



Thirteenth.— So long as a fertile queen 

 is present in the hive, the bees do not toler- 

 ate a fertile worker. Nor do they tolerate 

 one while cherishing a hope of being able 

 to rear a queen. In rare instances, how- 

 ever, exceptional cases occur. Fertile 

 workers are sometimes found in hives im- 

 mediately after the death of the queen; and 

 even in the presence of a young queen, so 

 long as she h(is not herself become fertile. 



Bee Products in the U. S. 



The census of 1870 returns only 13(J apiar- 

 ists—meaning of course that there were 

 only that number who gave that as their ex- 

 clusive business. 



The bee products as returned by the cen- 

 sus, was 14,702,81.5 pounds of honey and 

 6:31,129 pounds of wax in all the United 

 States. The States producing over 50,000 

 pounds of honey are as follows: 



Alabama 320,6^ 



Arkansas od^'.?.'^ 



California ^^rjf, 



K^£;;;:::::;:;;;:::::::;;.-::4«" 



iiffib! i.^!..™ 



Tiidiiina 6yr>,4i!i 



iS»::.;-::;:;:;::::;;:::::.|:«| 



Maryland 118,938 



Ml,hi:.an. 280.325 



Minnesota 92,606 



Mississippi 199,581 



Missouri ^'^^-''^ 



New Hampshire ^n'coS 



New Jersey ^jOA^ 



New York ??u'^ 



North Carolina H2t'^A 



Ohio '\i'l^ 



i )re"()n oo.soa 



iSsylvania |96,989 



South Carolina 194,253 



Tennessee 1.03?,550 



275,169 

 142,9:33 

 .505,2:39 

 376,i)97 

 299,341 



Texas 



Vermont 



Virginia 



West Virginia 



Wisconsin 



Illinois, it will be seen, stands first in 

 the order of honey-producing States, the 

 next largest being North Carolina, Ken- 

 tucky, Missouri and Tennessee, each of 

 which produced over 1,000,000 pounds. Only 

 these, and six other States, produced over 

 500,000 pounds. 



