An excellent example of Langstroth's most mature work on the keeping of bees. Though written over 150 years ago, his classic text created the blueprint for today's modern, commercial practices.
At the time, he revolutionized beekeeping in many ways, but significantly by identifying and applying the precise dimensions of the "bee space," the exact fractional clearance of about three-eighths of an inch that bees will neither fill with propolis nor bridge with comb. This discovery allowed for the creation of the top-opening, movable-frame hive, which completely transformed a localized hobby into a scientific industry by enabling keepers to inspect and harvest honey without destroying the colony.
The third edition, issued just in advance of the Civil War. contains Langstroth's final, revisions and is embellished by seventy-seven detailed engravings, capturing the exact moment American agricultural technology shifted from crude, traditional straw skeps to systematic, industrial management.
[Bee-Keeping and Honey Production]. A Practical Treatise on the Hive and Honey-Bee, by L. L. Langstroth; with an Introduction by Rev. Robert Baird. Third Edition. Revised, and Illustrated with Seventy-Seven Engravings. New York. C. M. Saxton, Barker & Co. San Francisco. H. H. Bancroft & Co. 1860. 386pp + Publisher's Catalogue.
A much better than usual example. Cloth very attractive, a bit faded, elaborate beehive spine gold foiling bright and clear. Textually very good with only the occasional bit of foxing. Solid and clean.
