294 
DZIERZON 
“The Bee Master of Silesia/’ but the 
greater part of his observations and ex¬ 
periences appeared in the Bienenzeitung. 
In this publication appeared his views on 
parthenogensis, and for eight years, from 
1845 to 1853, he had to fight hard to defend 
his theory, which met with the most strenu¬ 
ous opposition, and it was not until he in¬ 
troduced Italian bees in 1853 that he was 
clearly able to demonstrate the correctness 
of his statements. Baron von Berlepseh at 
first vigorously opposed it, but was at 
length convinced of his mistake, acknowl¬ 
edged his error, and openly declared he 
would come into Dzierzon’s camp “with 
bag and baggage.” Dzierzon’s theory, ac¬ 
cording to which drones originate from un¬ 
fertilized eggs, and all impregnated eggs 
produce females, gradually found adher¬ 
ents and recognition among men of science; 
and its correctness was proved by the mic¬ 
roscopical and physiological researches of 
Professors Dr. von Siebold and Leuckart. 
In recent years M. Dickel made a violent 
attack on this theory, and stated that all 
eggs laid by the queen were fecundated 
and that the bees themselves determined 
the sex of the eggs by means of a secre¬ 
tion from special glands. Dickel and 
Dzierzon met at the annual congress of 
beekeepers in Salzburg in 1898, where they 
vigorously defended their theories in the 
presence of a large gathering of beekeep¬ 
ers. Dzierzon’s arguments were so force¬ 
ful that they constantly elicited applause. 
He has had his partisans and detractors; 
some, like M. Perez, have discussed the the¬ 
ory most courteously; a few others have 
done so with extreme rudeness, especially 
to a man of his age. It is gratifying to 
find that Dzierzon lived long enough to 
see his theory triumphantly vindicated be¬ 
fore he passed away from among us. 
From all parts of the continent, and from 
many of the reigning sovereigns, Dzierzon 
has received distinctions and honors. One 
of the first which he received was that 
signed by Archduke John in his capacity 
as president of the Agricultural Society of 
Graz. The honorary title of “Doctor” was 
conferred on him by the University of 
Munich. At the Beekeepers’ Congress at 
Darmstadt, the then reigning Grand Duke 
of Hesse invested him with the order of 
Ludwig, and from the Emperor of Austria 
he received the Order of Francis Joseph. 
The Emperor of Russia conferred upon him 
the Order of St. Anne, and the King of 
Sweden the Order of Wasa. The photo¬ 
graph we reproduce from the Bienen-vater 
shows the venerable old man decorated with 
these orders. He has also been made an 
honorary member of a great many societies, 
and his name is known in every portion of 
the globe. 
To Dr. Dzierzon we are indebted for the 
various artificial substitutes for pollen. 
With his eye ever open to discover any 
means that would be of assistance to his 
bees, he observed them bringing from a 
neighboring mill rye-meal, before they 
were able to secure a natural supply for 
the food of the larvae; and ever since bee¬ 
keepers have been in the habit of supply¬ 
ing the bees with artificial pollen when nat¬ 
ural pollen is lacking in the spring. 
Dr. Dzierzon, like many other beekeep¬ 
ers, has had sad experiences of the virul¬ 
ence of foul brood. In 1848 this plague 
broke out in his apiary, destroying several 
hundred stocks, and leaving only ten un¬ 
touched. 
So vigorous was his fight against the 
disease that three years later, in 1851, he 
was able with pride to point to the 400 
colonies of healthy bees which he had 
worked up from the ten survivors of the 
disaster. 
His apiary passed thru several troubles. 
At one time 70 hives were stolen, then 24 
were lost in a flood, and 60 were destroyed 
by fire. 
In consequence of various ecclesiastical 
troubles which occurred at Karlsmarkt, he 
decided to leave the place where he had 
lived 49 years. He removed to Lowkowitz, 
the place of his birth, in 1884, and took up 
his abode with his nephew, the youngest 
son of his brother, whose wife accompanied 
him to the last in his visits to conventions 
of beekeepers. At Lowkowitz he lived a 
happy, peaceful, contented life, his time 
being wholly taken up with his bees. He 
died on Oct. 26, 1906. 
To beekeepers his loss is great, and his 
name will always stand out prominently in 
the history of beekeeping in the nineteenth 
century. 
DZIERZON THEORY.— In 1845 the 
Rev. John Dzierzon enunciated what is now 
