■238 



ing brood the lirst of December, and when 

 examined the first of February, the combs 

 were well filled with eggs and brood. On 

 the first of April no stock in the yard was 

 more populous. 



As we had little or no trouble with spring 

 dwindling this seassn no comparison on 

 this point can be made. 



Any points of superiority or inferiority 

 we may discover we shall announce through 

 The Journal. 



We have experienced great difficuly thus 

 far in obtaining bees from the island alive. 

 We look for the arrival of an importation 

 early in July, and as they are to be sent ac- 

 cording to our directions, we expect to re- 

 ceive the greater part, if not all or them, in 

 good condition. 



We consider the Cyprian a higher grade 

 bee than the Italians, and think they are 

 •destined to be a popular variety. 



Will not some one import the Carniolan 

 bee and test its merits? 



C. W. & A. H. K. Blood. 



Quincy, Mass., June 20, 1878. 



have superior advantages. But I know I 

 will not overstock the honey market in 

 America, and Mr. Perrine has no greater 

 show to supply " all Europe." 



W. B. Rush. 

 Wittenburgh, Mo., (opposite Grand Tower) 

 May 28, 1878. 



[We understand that Mr. Perrine had an 

 accident; something gave out on the steam- 

 boat, and he had to return to New Orleans 

 with it to be repaired, leaving his "Floating 

 Apiary" 60 miles up the river. We under- 

 stand that it is now floating proudly along, 

 (behind the steam tug), and will put in an 

 appearance in due time, if nothing unfore- 

 seen prevents. Dr. Rush is notv, June 20th, 

 at Pekin, Illinois, and reports his bees in 

 good order, gathering rapidly. So much for 

 floating apiaries.]— £d. 



For the American Bee Journal, j 



"Floating on the Stream of Time." 



Friend Newman: —I left New Orleans 

 May 18th, with 61 colonies of bees; all ex- 

 cept two or three very strong with bees, and 

 two-story hives. I closed tlie hives on the 

 17tli, the weather being quite warm all the 

 time. I stopped at this point the 21th, at 6 

 p. m., deeming it unsafe to keep them con- 

 lined any longer. 1 found them very rest- 

 less after the fourth day. My bees are on 

 the bank of the Mississippi River close to 

 the water. Bees have been doing well here 

 this season. I was too late, as the season 

 is three weeks aliead of the usual time. I 

 stopped to rest my bees, and will remain 

 about ten days. The weather is quite wet 

 here; plenty of white clover now and some 

 persimmon. I have been inquiring about 

 the coiuitry between Cairo and St. Louis. 

 Some would say one place and some another, 

 and the truth is, no one not a practical bee- 

 keeper is to be relied on, for they don't 

 know. I passed a fine place and stopped 

 here, but I shall try the Illinois River next 

 week if health will permit. I wrote several 

 bee-keepers about localities, but only two 

 responded— friends Palmer and Mr. Riehl of 

 Alton. It is the first undertaking of the 

 kind, and what success there is to be will 

 depend upon the season, as it does at all 

 times. 



The floating apiary of Mr. Perrine started 

 from New Orleans the 14th inst., and I 

 passed her tied up sixty miles above New 

 Orleans on the 19th. At that rate it will be 

 some time before Cairo is reached. Com- 

 paring it to my own trip, I don't see any- 

 thing to encourage its owner. Every one 

 on the river has heard of " that 2,000 hives 

 coming up the river." When the boat, 

 (James Howard, which I was on aboard of), 

 came along with bees there was some ex- 

 citement. All asked if it was that great 

 floating apiary. Captain O'Neal would tell 

 them it was the "Flying Apiary," and he had 

 it on board to amuse his passengers. If Mr. 

 Perrine succeeds I am sure of success, for I 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Bee Notes from Georgia. 



I inclose a specimen of a plant that I think 

 is Melilot Clover. I discovered it acciden- 

 tally. Had no idea there was such a plant 

 in this part of the country. I think with it 

 we can be certain of a honey crop, and a 

 large one too, if it continues to be as good 

 as it is this year. I have never seen bees as 

 fond of anything as they are of this, and it 

 has such a profusion of bloom, and I am told 

 it blooms for more than a month. It stands 

 about 8 feet high and is covered with blos- 

 soms. I held it in front of a hive, and in 

 less than five minutes there were a half a 

 dozen of bees as busy as they could be. I 

 visited the field in which it is growing, and 

 I don't think I ever saw as many bees work- 

 ing on one thing; the whole air seemed to 

 be filled with them, and the plants alive 

 with them. 



My bees have not done as well this year 

 as i anticipated, on account of the cold, 

 damp weather during May. We lost two 

 weeks of sour- wood bloom; the bees are 

 busy working on them now, at least what 

 are left of them, and will get a little honey. 

 If we have a honey-dew we may come out 

 all right yet. I am afraid it is rather late. 



Speaking of honey-dew reminds me of a 

 circumstance that happened a few years 

 ago in connection with honey-dew; and 

 while they are now discussing it through 

 the Journal, some one may be able to ex- 

 plain it. It was this: A few years ago our 

 Sabbath School determined to have a social 

 gathering of the ditt'erent Suudaj^ Schools 

 in the neighborhood; so on the day ap- 

 pointed, the 20th of May, as near as I can 

 recollect, there assembled with us about 

 1,000 people, and some horses of course. We 

 all had a very pleasant time, notwithstand- 

 ing the day "was rather warm. But it all 

 passed off pleasantly, and all went away 

 well satisfied, and it seemed that the little 

 busy bee was to be satisfied also, for strange 

 to say, next morning the trees under which 

 the crowd had spent the day were literally 

 dripping with honey dew; and the strangest 

 part of it all was that no where else in the 



