94 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



for $1.00 and $1.50, and warrant them, or 

 $2.00 and test them ; but I only say this to 

 compare with the North, for there I would 

 not rear queens and test them for less than 

 $5.00, but I am not in the business this 

 year. I am expecting an invoice of im- 

 ported queens soon. I purchased 10 of 

 one of the best breeders in Europe, and 

 tliey will be from one of the best districts 

 of Italy. I will not have any for sale. I 

 am expecting two other varieties, and if 

 they arrive safe, I will exhibit them at the 

 next convention. I will say to my old 

 friends, Mrs. Tupper and H. A. King, that 

 I took their advice and did not come down 

 here when I spoke of coming, but the at- 

 traction became too great, and in March I 

 could no longer follow their advice. I am 

 satisfied that I am in the best portion of 

 the State. Society is not good, yet the 

 inorals are not bad, only in the way of 

 stealing, and that is confined among the 

 negroes, (they number 3 to 1 in this par- 

 ish) who steal only something eatable, 

 and that is their second nature, for they 

 have been doing that for a hundred years, 

 and they alw^s will. There is no one 

 molested or harmed here — only one mur- 

 der in two years, yet in three parishes 

 murders are more common than mar- 

 riages, and it all comes from plots laid for 

 political gains. Some one will incense a 

 lot of men and get them into a riot; 

 enough will be put in jail to insure the 

 success of the carpetbag, and when the 

 election is over they are never tried. 



If about forty of the carpet-baggers and 

 their allies were hung, then Louisiana 

 would be one among the most quiet States 

 of the Union. 



I greatly regret not having been here in 

 February, but 6,000 lbs extracted honey in 

 thirty days does finely. California may 

 boast of her honey, oranges and lemons, 

 but Louisiana will do her part towards 

 keeping even in the first named. 



I did not see the June and July num- 

 bers of the American, but hope the con- 

 test in regard to imported queens is 

 settled. I do not hold any ill-feeling to- 

 ward Mr. Dadant, and I am, for one, will- 

 ing to assist in sending for the chromos, 

 and he can count me one, and send on as 

 soon as the club is ready. The prevention 

 of swarming is a question far us in the 

 South. While at Mr. Parlange's he and I 

 tried our hands at it, but did not fully suc- 

 ceed. I will add that keeping the queen 

 cells cut out does not prevent it, for they 

 will swarm without a sign of a cell. It's 

 my opinion that the way is to combine 

 all the modes of non-swarming; plenty 

 of room, two stories, clip the wings, 

 (I am strongly opposed to this, but it's 

 better to injure them than lose them) 

 keep them in the shade, cut out all cells 

 — with all these precautions they will not 

 often swarm, and when they do they will 

 come back. 



I am thankful for the mild climate here. 

 The dreaded freezing of the bees is not 

 feared here as in the North. I made 

 many costly experiments in the North, 

 and it now seems so long that I don't feel 

 like speaking of it, but will write an 

 article for the N. E. B. K. Society. I will 

 say in time what will winter bees four 

 times in five — to have good, light hives, 

 covered over with some absorbent, and 

 just before a thaw remove and dry the 

 same ; a good queen, young bees, protect- 

 ed from north and west winds, the usual 

 entrance open, all capped honey, bees un- 

 disturbed — and they will go through 

 safely. It will pay a good profit to ship 

 bees down here, if they are near the river. 

 They can be emptied first of October and 

 shipped here, and returned in April, with 

 young bees, plenty of brood and honey. 

 I will take 150 colonies of pure Italians 

 on the shares, to be delivered here, cut 

 material ready for hives, and I will take 

 half of the honey and half of the swarms 

 for the care and labor. 



There has not been anything for honey 

 for ten days, but golden rod is now open- 

 ing, and will continue for about two 

 months, and there are thousands of acres 

 of it. I will extract for two months j^et, 

 and then divide up. I hope to be able to 

 make a permanent residence here, or 

 near this place. Will give the honey re- 

 sources next time. W. B. Rush. 



Pointe Coupee, La., Aug. 5, 1876. 



For the American Bee Journal. 

 How to Place Hires. 



Mr. Editor: — I think you omitted one 

 very important point in the directions to 

 C. E. S., on page 26 of A. B. Journal for 

 1876, and that is, the placing of the hives 

 on tlie same stands they occupied before 

 they were put in, which I think I will 

 prove to your satisfaction. On the 23d of 

 December last, a Mr. Sargent came to my 

 house from Lebanon, about eiglit miles. 

 I not being at home, he told my wife that 

 he wanted me to come and examine his 

 bees, and bring my extractor, as he 

 thought several of them had too much J 

 honey; said he had had them in the eel- | 

 lar about two weeks, and they were getting 

 very uneasy. The morning of December 

 31st being very fine, I started and arrived 

 about nine o'clock. I found his bees in a 

 sort of half cellar, the west side being 

 only about two feet below ground, with 

 two twelve light windows in front, admit- 

 ting the full light of day. The entrances 

 were all closed with blocks of wood. I 

 told him the first thing to be done was to 

 get them out, and asked him if he knew 

 where each hive had stood, and he said he 

 did not; so 1 set the first hive carried out 

 on the first stand I came to, and opened it, 

 and told him we would soon see where it 

 belonged, and in five minutes there were 



