( To the Editor of the Beekeepers' 
Journal .) 
Sir, — I fully agree 'with the suggestion 
submitted to the general body of beekeepers 
by friend A. E. Bonnev, of Adelaide — “ That 
a standard frame be adopted for Australasia ; 
that said frame be the “ Langstroth,” as made 
by A I. Root, of Medina, Ohio, and adopted 
by a large majority of the beekepers of the 
two hemispheres.” Of course I do not 
anticipate that all beekeepers will adopt 
that size ; if the bulk do so it will be of 
considerable advantage ; the losers will be 
those who do not. 
There is no need to waste space by reiterat- 
ing the numerous advantages that will attend 
the adoption of one exact size, they are well 
known. 
I have read friend Abram’s reasons for pre- 
ferring the Berlepsch, or Dzierzon style of 
frame and hive. 1 am not yet convinced that 
it is better on the whole than the simplicity 
Langstroth, nor do I think his arguments con - 
clusive. The fact that bees in a natural state 
are usually found in trees, where of necessity 
the height is greater than the width, is not 
conclusive to my mind, for frequently bees 
build in caves, or under shelves of rock, or, as 
I have seen them in Queensland, under the 
loaning stems of fallen trees; the combs 
exposed on all sides except the top. 
I am not convinced that a hive opening at 
one end is better than one opening at top. 
With a simplicity hive 1 can and do work 
them to advantage, three and four stories 
high ; this could not be done with the 
German. With the simplicity I have only to 
take one frame out and set aside, so as to 
work through the hive, which can then be 
done by simply sliding frames along into the 
space made ; but with the German they must 
all come right out and be put aside. It is 
true I must lift the top story off to get at the 
bottom ; but this is not much trouble, as I 
can lift it all off ut once. 
Then in working sections I think the sim- 
plicity superior, because of its simplicity and 
adaptability. I am not aware that the honey 
in upper story simplicity is tainted ; if there 
is any danger of this, it is as easily rectified as 
in the German hive, by use of queen excluder- 
boards or zinc. 
I have no trouble in getting combs built in 
the frame all round, and I am quite sure 
such frames of comb will travel and extract 
as well, if not better, than the tall frames not 
so completely filled. No doubt friend Abram 
prefers the style of hive he has become 
accustomed to use — ditto friend— and as 
his kind of hive has been used in all the 
Colonies and abandoned mostly, and as the 
simplicity Langstroth is more generally used, 
here and elsewhere, except perhaps England 
and Germany, I think we cannot do better than 
make it the standard for Australasia until 
something considerably superior is presented 
to us — possibly further removed from friend 
Abram than we are at present. The new 
shallow, or half Langstroth, as introduced now 
by J. Heddon, and which is not altogether 
new, it having been in use (that is, a very 
shallow brood frame,) with good results for 
section honey for a good number of years by 
some American apiarists. — -Yours, 
CHAS. FULL WOOD. 
Brisbane, 21st March, 1 -86. 
NEW BOOKS, REVIEWS AND 
EXTRACTS 
PROM FOREIGN JOURNALS. 
The New Bee Disease . — During last Autumn 
what the American apiarists term “ a new 
disease ” has made its appearance in that 
country. It is described in their bee journals 
as follows: — “ About two thousand bees from 
one hive are badly affected. They are con- 
stantly cleaning themselves, by rubbing their 
bodies, legs, and wings. Their abdomens are 
shining, and the back portions intensely so. 
They are shrunken and pointed. The dead 
and dying bees are taken from the hive in a 
string or path extending six feet from the 
hive. The first indication was about a quart 
of dead bees. They have a fine queen, and 
have preserved their drones.” 
To this statement Professor Cook replies : — 
“ This is just what I have often heard this 
fall. It seems to me a new malady. As yet I 
cannot suggest any cause, and so, of course, 
no remedy. Most beekeepers write to me that 
the affected bees seem young, and are black 
from being bald.” The editor of the Apicul- 
turist remarks: — “By the above it will be 
seen that there is no mistake about a new lee 
disease. The new malady is not contagious, 
and there is little cause for alarm. The 
worker bees may be seen crawling about the 
entrance of the hive and on the alighting 
board. The bees do not die off rapidly, but 
the colony gradually decreases in numbers, 
and the hive after a while becomes depopulated. 
The healthy bees continue to do the work of 
the hive, to gather pollen, and remove the 
dead and dying bees.” 
Referring to our bee lore we find the late 
Mr. Woodbury describing a disease from 
which his bees suffered in 1861-2, and which 
he designates “ dropsy,” in these terms : — 
“ Symploms : Great enlargement of abdomen, 
