18 THE BEE KEBPEB'S MANUAL. 



in 1845, and at once arrested my attention. Subsequently, 

 when in 1848, at the instance of the Prussian government, 

 the Rev. Mr. Dzierzon published his " Theory and Practice 

 of Bee Culture," I imported a copy, which reached me in 

 1849, and which 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 inventions. 

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

 had devised substantially the same system as that so success- 

 fully pursued by Mr. Dzierzon ; but how far your hive re- 

 sembled his I was unable to judge from description alone. 

 I inferred, however, several points of difference. The coin- 

 cidence as to system, and the principles on which it was 

 evidenilj- founded, struck me as exceedingly singular and 

 interesting, because I felt confident 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 circumstances made me very anxious to 

 examine your hives, and induced me to visit your Apiary in 

 ihe village of West Philadelphia, last August. In the ab- 

 sence of the keeper, as I informed you, 1 took the liberty to 

 explore the premises thoroughly, opening and inspecting a 



