THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL 
89 
the kitchen window of a large house, and 
noting the content* of the room, we can tell 
what furniture then* is in any part of the 
house. 
The bee-shed I consider #* antiquated as 
many features of the hive, and oue of the 
remnants of old-fashioned beekeeping, being 
nothing but an expensive and worse than 
useless arrangement. I well remember, in ray 
inexperienced days, keeping hives in a bee-shed, 
a thoroughly well-built one, but no matter 
how carefully I worked at any one hive, I 
always succeeded in jarring all the rest, till 
the inmates became furious. 1 used at last, to 
make things more pleasant, to smoke all the 
hives before I began manipulating one. 
I would enumerate many other objections, 
too, and unfavourable features in the Berlepsch 
hive; and although I do not think we have 
arrived at perfection in the Langstroth, I 
think I have so far shown it to be in every 
respect much superior to the Berlepsch hive. 
APIS. 
New Zealand, 15th July, 1886. 
The Langstroth and Berlepsch Hives 
Compared. 
(71i the Editors of the Australian Beekeepers' 
Journal.) 
Gentlemen, — To the letter in your issue 
for May -June of above heading, and signed by 
“ Apis,” I desire to make some remarks in 
reply. 
In the first place, “ Apis” undertakes the 
task of comparing the Langstroth and Bcr- 
lepsch hives, and all through his letter shows 
that, practically, he has not the slightest idea 
of the working of the latter. He has not 
worked them side by side with the former; 
he has no practical knowledge thereof what- 
ever. I'he kind reader may form a judgment 
of hi* own whether it i» possible or fair to 
compare and condemn an article of which he 
has no knowledge. 
“ Apis " thinks mv argument has been 
unhuppily chosen, vtx., that while bees in 
their wild state, in trees, &c., select a place 
for their home which is higher than wide, the 
nearer we approach their uatural habits the 
more likely are our arrangements to be sue- 
cessful; and continuing, he admits that in 
their wild state bees do select tree* which are 
higher than wide, not because it is in accord- 
ance with their nature, but bcc»u»e the hollow 
tree* arc of such a shvpe, and says: •* Being 
found in such hdlow* no more prove* that 
the bee* have selected »uch place* on account 
of their shape, than when a swann takes 
possession of the roof of a cottage proves that 
the place was selected because of its width or 
on account of the rafters or shingles over- 
head.” Considering his statement, it makes 
the impression on me as if he intended to make 
one believe that there are just as many swarms 
found under the roofs of cottages as in the 
hollow trees. If this were so, my argument 
would have lost half of it* correctness. Now, as 
everyone knows what a real rarity it is to 
find a colony of bee* working under a roof or 
in other such wide places w hich are as 
numerous as hollow trees, there is not much 
value in his argument. I am well aware that 
every beekeeper can cite instances, in his own 
experience or on hearsay, of bees taking up 
their permanent abode in extraordinary places. 
These are, however, exceptions that prove the 
rule, and have occurred as matters of nece*- 
sity to the bees, who certainly would take the 
alternative of a wide lodging in place of none 
at all. Further, he says: “The nearer we 
let the bees approach their natural habits in 
our management of them, the more unprofit- 
able will they become,” which statement 
includes that the Langstroth hive is not in 
accordance with the natural habits of the 
bees. But it does not follow that a hive 
which is according to the nature of the 
bees could not be managed as profitably as 
the other. And if we check our bees from 
swnrming, raise queens and make artificial 
swarms — but never out of season — when we 
wish, what else is that than assisting them 
in their natural habits? Their greatest desire 
is to gather honey. Nature has provided 
them for that purpose, and the bcemaster has 
to manage them accordingly. If he does 
the contrary, a failure will be the conse- 
quence. What “Apis” thinks management 
against the nature of the bees, is in reality 
assisting them To find out their natural 
habits, to assist and improve therein, that is 
advanced bee culture, that is scientific and 
modem beekeeping. This style of manage- 
ment, with two and three stories, resembles 
the old method, when the full comb* could not 
easily be removed at any time, and when the 
extractor was not known. If anyone wants 
to rear pure queen* of a certain race of bees, 
and kills the hybridised queens to rear other* 
again in the hope of being more successful 
each time, does he kill them and rear other* 
in order to work against the natural habits of 
the bee-* * or is it the nature of the race to 
hybridise? Certainly not. I he queen-breeder 
only assist* them in keeping their race pure; 
or if a hive is strong, and every cell full of 
honey or brood, but no swarm i* despatched, 
and we divide that hive, that is, we make an 
artificial swarm in the ‘right time, i» that 
against the natural habits of the bees? Do 
we not assist them by giving more room for 
