MOVABLE-COMB HIVE. 17 



" YORK, PA., Dec. 24, 1852. 



" DEAR SIR :- The Dzierzon theory and the system of 

 bee-management, based thereon, were originally promul- 

 gated hypotheticatty in the 'Eichstadt Bienen-zeitung,' 

 or Bee-Journal, in 1 845, and at once arrested my attention. 

 Subsequently, when in 1848 at the instance of the Prus- 

 sian Government, the Rev. Mr. Dzierzon published his 

 ' Theory and Practice of Bee Culture,' I imported a copy 

 which reached me in 1849, and wliich I translated prior to 

 January, 1850. Before the translation was completed I 

 received a visit from my friend the Rev. Dr. Berg, of 

 Philadelphia, and in the course of conversation on bee- 

 keeping, mentioned to him the Dzierzon theory and 

 system as one which I regarded as new and very superior, 

 though I had had no opportunity for testing it practically. 

 In February following, when in Philadelphia, I left with 

 him the translation in manuscript up to which period I 

 doubt whether any other person in this country had any 

 knowledge of the Dzierzon theory ; except to Dr. Berg, I 

 had never mentioned it to any one save in very general 

 terms. 



"In September 1851, Dr. Berg again visited York, and 

 stated to me your investigations, discoveries and inven- 

 tions. From the account Dr. Berg gave me, I felt assured 

 that you had devised substantially the same system as that 

 so successfully pursued by Mr. Dzierzon ; but how far 

 your hive resembled his I was unable to judge from 

 description alone. I inferred, however, several points of 

 difference. The coincidence as to system, and the princi- 

 ples on which it was evidently founded, struck me as 

 exceedingly singular and interesting, because I felt confi- 

 dent that you had no more knowledge of Mr. Dzierzon 

 and his labors, before Dr. Berg mentioned him and his 

 book to you, than Mr. Dzierzon had of you. These cir- 



