GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



259 



ere many weeks pass, to have In my possession a 

 copy of every edition of Ruber's works that has 

 been issued either in French, English, or German. 



As regards place of publication of the French edi- 

 tions: They seem to have been published simultane- 

 ously in Paris and Geneva; at least, this is true in 

 jregard to the edition of 18U. 



I am obliged to Mr. Viallon for calling my atten- 

 tion to the fact, that the first English translation of 

 Huber'a works was published in 1806. My copy is 

 the second edition, ]S08. It was printed by the fa- 

 mous printer Alexander Smellie, and was published 

 both in Edinburgh and London—in the latter city by 

 the famous house of Longman, Hurst, Rees, & Orme. 

 So far as I can find, after a good deal of research, 

 this was Ihe only English translation, for both the 

 Edinburgti and London translations are really the 

 same. The editions were: First, in 1800; second, in 

 1S08; third, in 18^1; another in 1841. I have not 

 found any trace of any others. 



A word in regard to Mr. Benton's trans-lntinn: I 

 have read it carefully, and compared it with the 

 original. It is decidedly better than the old transla- 

 tion; and for terseness, lucidity, and closeness to the 

 original, can scarcely be excelled. It is a pity, how- 

 ever, that he has used the word " fertile " instead of 

 '* fecund," or, better still, " fecundated." The word 

 "mate," used by Benton, is decidedly to be prefer- 

 red to the word used by the English translator; but 

 " fertile " does not express what Huber means. 



In reference to the plates: The engravings were 

 no doubt on copper, and are probably worthless 

 now. The plates in my copy of the translation are 

 from copper. Remember, this was before the adop- 

 tion of steel for engraving purposes (invented by Ja- 

 cob Perkins, of Newburyport, Mass., about 181.5), and 

 before wood had come into general use on the con- 

 tinent, after its revival by Bewick. If the plates 

 were steel, they can have been preserved only by a 

 miracle. But it will bo so easy to reproduce them in 

 wood, with all the delicacy of the original, that this 

 need give no concern. 



Mr. Viallon objects to the simple word "Lang- 

 stroth" as the name for the new book-club, and sug- 

 gests "Langstroth Bee-Keepers' Club." But it is 

 not a bee-keepers' cluh, neither is it a literary club. It 

 is to be a hook-club, established for the purpose of 

 republishing such memoirs and works as are now 

 inaccessible to students, and yet are of special value 

 and interest. Who, of all the readers of this article, 

 has read the original papers of Hunter, Schirach, 

 llciaumur, Swammerdam, and others, upon whose 

 works the principles of modern bee-keeping are 

 based? If these could be placed within the reach 

 of students it would be a grand thing. Now, the 

 only way to accomplish this is through a society or 

 club. The chemists joined together for a similar 

 purpose, and formed "The Cavendish Society;" not 

 " The Cavendish C/iemi'cai Society," mark you. The 

 medical men have such a society— "The Sydenham 

 Society" -not "The Sydenham Medical Society." 

 Historians did the same, and we have " The Spottis- 

 woode Society." If "The Langstroth Club," or 

 " The Langstroth Society," is formed, every bee- 

 keeper who can read will know what it means. It 

 will not be the first club in this country, however; 

 for since Isuggested the formation of a "Langstroth 

 Ciub," a " Grolier Club" has been formed. This is 

 named after Grolier, a famous book-binder, and is 

 devoted to books and papers on book-binding and 

 kindred arts. 



Mr. Viallon will observe, that the edition of 18U is 

 called, on its title-page, the second edition of " Nov- 

 vtlles Observations," etc. ; not so the edition of 1796, 

 which must, therefore, have been the first of that 

 title. John Phin. 



Cedar Brae, N. J., April, 1881. 



Thanks, friend Phin, for tlie many items 

 of interest which you have woven into your 

 article. In rejrard to the date of the publi- 

 cation of the " Nouvelles Observations," we 

 have here an English edition printed in 18-11, 

 wherein the translator says : •'• The publica- 

 tion of his observations "took place in 17912, 

 under the title of ' Nouvelles Observations,' " 

 etc. ; and further, that another edition was 

 printed in 179(5. This would seein to con- 

 lirm what friend Viallon said. Friend Bliss, 

 of Duarte, Cal., informs us that he has just 

 imported a copy of Huber's works from 

 France, and he copies the title-page in " the 

 original tongue." Translated, it reads:—- 

 ''l\ew Observations on Bees, by Francis 

 Uuber. Second i>dition, revised, corrected, 

 and considerably enlarged. First Volume. 

 I'aiis : J. .J. Paschoidd. 22 Magazine Street. 

 (ieneva. the same. LSU." This is doubtless 

 the edition you recommend for Mr. Benton's 

 use.— In the last nu ruber of the Voj^^ervateur 

 dcs Ahnlles, friend Fournier gives the origi- 

 nal introduction to Iluber's works, which 

 Mr. Benton translated ; and on comparing 

 the two, we must fully indorse all friend 

 Phin says in regard to the admirable man- 

 ner in which the translation has been done. 

 But best of all, friend F. also gives us a tine 

 picture of the venerable lluber. We hope 

 some day to procure this cut for the benefit 

 and pleasure of our readers. Friend F. errs 

 in putting the date of Iluber's death at 1832. 

 He died Dec. 22, ]881. 



FOUI. BROOD. 



AN ANSWER TO A QUEHV BY FRIEND BOGGS, ON 

 PAGE 81. 



WW'^VING had considerable experience with foul 

 JijrTt brood in Germany, years ago, and nobody re- 



' sponding to your article and questions on 



page 81, regarding the same, perhaps I can advise 

 you some in the matter. It will bo a comfort for 

 you to hear that, although the colony your bees 

 robbed had real foul brood, your bees will likely es- 

 cape the disease when it was so late in the fall they 

 had ceased breeding, and the stolen honey (of which 

 there was likely not much) carried in the lower part 

 of the combs for immediate use, will have all been 

 consumed long before brood-rearing is startdH again. 

 You should not, however, depend on your good 

 chances, but treat them as sick until they are all 

 proved sound, which is to your interest, as well as 

 that of your neighbor bee-keepers; neither should 

 you sell any bees. 



As tba time is at hand now to look over your bees 

 (if you have not yet done so), in order to keep any 

 affected ones from the rest, each colony should bo 

 trcHlod and kept strictly separate; exchange no 

 hives nor combs. By all means avoid robbing; open 

 them only near sunset or early morninsr, or in quite 

 cloudy weather. In looking for affected cells, take 

 out the center frames, where the queen is supposed 

 to lay first; and whereby this time large sheets of 

 brood are hatching. It is la those that an Inexperi- 



