THE CULTIVATOR. 
35 
the eastern brick gable end, fitted the interior for the reception of 
a hive, and opened an aperture through the wall at the point paral¬ 
lel with that where the bottom of the hive would stand. The first 
swarm that came forth were placed in it. They not only filled the 
hive, but nearly covered it with comb and honey the first season. 
We have taken from their stores a considerable quantity of honey 
for our table, always delicately white and fine, which has been 
more than made good the following summer. The quantity of ho¬ 
ney in the room must now amount to nearly 200 lbs. No inter¬ 
ruption to their labors has been apparent, nor have they sent out 
in the three summers any new swarm. YVe built another bee-room 
in the garret last summer, and put therein a fine swarm of bees. 
They promise to do equally well with the first. A bee moth has 
been occasionally Eeen in the garret, and one in the bee-house, but 
not the least indication of their web or larvte about the hive or ho¬ 
ney. 
It has been said, that where there are a number of hives, the bee- 
moth concentrate in one hive, and leave the others undisturbed. 
This has been in a manner verified by our observation during the 
two last years: /or we have, in both years found one hive almost 
literally filled with the worm, butterfly and web, which we imme¬ 
diately consigned, hive, honey and all, to the flames; but have not 
found a moth, or the signs of one, in other hives from which we 
have taken honey. Though it is well to remark, that the honey 
has been uniformly taken from the uppermost of a double hive, 
without destroying the bees, which were driven into the lower 
apartment. The two boxes are of equal dimensions. A hole is 
made in the top of the lower one, for the bees to pass up, and the 
upper box set on, and fastened to the lower one by hooks and but¬ 
tons. The upper box is always filled first, and when the under one 
is filled, and this is considered sufficient to subsist the bees during 
the winter, the upper box may be taken off, the honey, which is 
found to be pure, and free from young and bee bread, taken out, and 
the box returned. The bees are driven into the lower apartment 
by blowing tobacco smoke into the upper one. 
In November last, we took two late swarms, which appeared to 
have scanty supplies for the winter, and placed them on a shelf in 
a dark cellar. About the 20th March they were examined. The 
bees in one hive were dead; they had been apparently smothered 
for want of air or by bad air. Water had got under a corner of 
the hive and produced mouldiness. The honey had apparently suf¬ 
fered no diminution during the winter. The bees in the other hive 
were in good condition; not a dead one was seen; and on being re¬ 
moved to the stand, the day being warm, soon became lively. From 
this experiment, we think weak swarms may in this way be pre¬ 
served during the winter in a dormant state. 
In preparing a bee-house, we recommend, that the hive which 
is to be put into it with the young swarm, for such we should pre¬ 
fer, be placed above the centre on the east wall, that the aperture 
through the wall, for the egress and ingress of the bees, be paral¬ 
lel with the bottom of the hive, and that the staging on that side, 
to sustain the comb, be fifteen or eighteen inches broad. The comb, 
when extended on the outside of the hive, assumes the form of a 
cone, the top of the hive constituting the apex, spreading below 
equally on the front and sides, and extending considerably below 
the hive. Without a broad staging, therefore, the comb in front, 
having nothing to sustain it, breaks off from its own weight, and 
falls to the floor. 
NORMAL SCHOOLS. 
We gave, in our last, a brief account of the primary schools in 
Prussia, abstracted from M. Cousin’s report; and we proceed now 
to speak of the Normal Schools, that is, schools for training teach¬ 
ers for the primary schools. The Prussian law declares, that: 
“ A schoolmaster, to be worthy of his vocation, should be pious, discreet, 
and deeply impressed with the dignity and sacredness of his calling. He 
should be thoroughly acquainted with the duties peculiar to the grade of primary 
instruction in which he desires to be employed; he should possess the art of 
communicating knowledge, with that of moulding the minds of his children; 
he should be unshaken in his loyalty to the state, conscientious in the duties of 
his office, friendly and judicious in his intercourse with the parents of his 
pupils, and with his fellow citizens in general; finally, he should strive to in¬ 
spire them with a lively interest in the school, and secure to it their favor and 
support.” 
As none can teach to others what they do not themselves know, 
—and as the example of the master has great influence in forming 
the habits of the pupils—-it is very justly considered indispensable 
in the qualifications of teachers, that they shall be competent, and 
of good character, habits and disposition. These qualifications, 
we cannot but think, are too little regarded in selecting teachers 
for our common schools. 
A normal school, for training teachers for primary schools, is re¬ 
quired to be established in each department. No school can re¬ 
ceive more than 60 or 70 pupils. The expense of these schools is 
defrayed in part by the government and part by the department. 
The pupils before admittance, must have passed a good examina¬ 
tion in the primary schools. The age of admission is from 16 to 
18, and the course of studies three years. The first year is devot¬ 
ed to supplementary primary instruction, the second to specific and 
more elevated studies, and the third to practice and occasional ex¬ 
periments in the primary schools, one of which is attached to each 
normal school, and other schools in the place. Provision is made 
for the education, in these schools, of poor youth of good promise; 
and the pupils thus assisted, are obliged to accept, at the expiration 
of their course, the masterships of such schools as may be assign¬ 
ed them, with the chance of promotion according to meric. It is 
declared, that 
“ With respect to teaching, the endeavor shall be, not so much to inculcate 
theories on the pupils, as to lead them by enlightened observation, and their 
own experience, lo simple and lucid principles; and with this view, to the nor¬ 
mal schools shall be attached others, in which the pupils may exercise them¬ 
selves by practice.” 
All the studies and exercises required in the primary schools are 
introduced here, but prosecuted to a greater extent. On comple¬ 
ting the course, the pupils are submitted to a rigid examination, and 
receive certificates of capacity, bearing the distinctive appellations 
of “ excellent,” “ good or sufficient,” or “ passable.” Such as 
prove incompetent are rejected, or sent back to pursue their studies. 
Those who pass examination, have their names inscribed, with the 
index of the degree of their certificate, upon the departmental list 
of candidates, which list is published every six months in the offi¬ 
cial gazette of the department. The teacher receives a brevet of 
his appointment, in which his duties and salary are specifically sta¬ 
ted. He is required to take an oath on entering on his duties, and 
is publicly installed in the church, in presence of the scholars and 
public authorities, to all of whom he is to be formally presented. 
A process verbal of the installation is drawn up and deposited 
among the archives of the school. His conduct as a teacher is 
closely scrutinized. For indolence, carelessness, bad disposition, 
or neglect, he is first admonished, and may subsequently be fined, 
and deprived of his employment. Gross violations of modesty, 
temperance, moderation, or any open abuse of his authority as fa¬ 
ther, husband, or head of a family, is also punished with the loss 
of place. Such are the prominent regulations in regard to the nor¬ 
mal schools of Prussia; and they are highly calculated, we con¬ 
ceive, to have a benign influence upon the character and happiness 
of the nation. 
As we have before observed, the Prussian system of primary in¬ 
struction was not matured till 1819. Its happy influence has been 
manifested in the increase and improvement of the schools. From 
the returns made in 1831, it seems that the number of children 
sent to the primary schools exceeded the estimated number of all 
the children in the kingdom between the ages of 7 and 14; that 
there were then 21,879 primary, and 823 middle or burgher schools, 
which employed 23,920 head masters, 983 head mistresses, and 
2,811 assistants, and that the pupils averaged about 73 to each 
teacher and assistant;—that there are 28 normal schools, in which 
there are fifteen hundred pupils, and that these schools furnish 700 
candidates annually for mastership. The expense of a pupil in the 
normal schools averages about $44 per annum; and the expense of 
the 28 schools is stated at about $66,000. 
School Libraries .—This is a prominent feature in the Prussain 
system of instruction which we may adopt with unquestionable ad¬ 
vantage. However accessible books may be in the cities and vil¬ 
lages,—and however multiplied the productions of the press at the 
present day, it is a fact that will not be questioned, that in a consi¬ 
derable portion of our country the means of acquiring useful know¬ 
ledge, from books, are very limited; and perhaps we may add, that 
the desire for obtaining this knowledge is no where sufficiently 
manifest. There are few public libraries in the country; and if 
