NOVEMBER 1, 1912 



896 



keeping, or moving bees at the approach 

 of winter from the North to the South, and 

 operating them for extracted honey in the 

 tupelo-gaim sections, then at the end of 

 the flow carrying them back, together with 

 the lioney which has been harvested. The 

 return north should be made in time for 

 the honey-flow there in order that the 

 necessary comb honey for the packing of 

 the bulk comb honey may be produced. 



This is not a new idea, for there has 

 been almost no end of letters that have 

 come to me from northern beekeepers dur- 

 ing the last few years wanting reliable in- 

 formation about a venture of this kind. 

 But neither inyself nor any one else could 

 give this information; and as such a trip 

 would be very expensive, no one has as yet 

 undertaken it ; but we are now able to 

 give more reliable information regarding 

 the feasibility of this plan. 



The A. I. Boot Company solved the 

 greater part of the i^roblem the past sea- 

 son by moving a carload of bees from the 

 tupelo-gaim section after the flow, then 

 back north in time for the flow, and there- 

 by harvesting a good crop of honey at 

 both ends of the line. Now the question 

 is, "Can bees be brought from the North 

 down, and the project carried out with 

 good results and profit? Of course, this 

 adds much more expense, and makes the 

 problem a more difficult one; but I have 

 taken up the matter with a few of those 



who are very anxious to try the venture, 

 and I here give a letter from Mr. George 

 H. Rea, of Pennsylvania, whose location 

 probably represents what would be about 

 the average distance which would be cov- 

 ered in a trip of this nature from the 

 North to the South. The rates given refer 

 to the Okefenoke SwamjD in the lower 

 part of Southeast Georgia. 



My dear Mr. Wilder: — Your very kind letter is 

 before me, and I am much pleased with the favor- 

 able information that it contains. I know that 

 your information is reliable; and from what you 

 have told me I can see no reason why migratory 

 beekeeping would not pay. You ask me to find 

 out what it will cost me to move a car, and then 

 you can better advise. The Georgia Southern & 

 Florida R. R. have quoted me 75 cts. per 100 

 lbs., 20,000 lbs. minimum per car. That would 

 make the car cost me $150 besides my car fare, 

 which would be about $30. So you see it will 

 cost me from $350 to $400 to move the car down 

 there and back again in the spring; and in ad- 

 dition to this will be the expense of my boarding 

 and hauling of bees, etc. The probable expense 

 would be about $500. Is this estimate too high? 

 What can you tell me about living expenses down 

 there ? Will the honey crop, gathered there, from 

 200 colonies, justify this large expense? I should 

 want the bees to pay not only all expenses, but to 

 make some money for me besides. 



Reynoldsville, Pa., Oct. 5. Geo. H. Rea. 



I think Mr. Rea has slightly over- 

 estimated the total expense from the time 

 the bees are prepared for the trip until 

 they have been returned and set on their 

 stands for the flow in the North. Assum- 

 ing that his estimate is correct (and surely 

 it is on the safe side), that of the entire 

 expense being $500, let us leave off the 

 last sentence of his letter. I think that the 



Smith's mouse and ant proof honey-house and work-shop. 



