722 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Aug. 15 



MIGRATORY BEE-KEEPING. 



I want to ask a few questions on migra- 

 tory bee-keeping. I live close to the Ken- 

 tucky River. It is locked and dammed, and 

 gives perfect water for boating. One month 

 ago, if I could have moved my bees 50 miles 

 up this river it would have been worth 50 

 lbs. per colony of honey from clover, aside 

 from the basswood and sourvvood. My av- 

 erage here this year has been 60 lbs. per 

 colony, spring count. My brother's aver- 

 age in Richmond, 17 miles east, is over loO 

 lbs. During the last days of May and first 

 days of June he had three inches of rain, 

 which made his flow good; while from the 

 first of May until the 5th of July my rain 

 was less than one inch. 



I wish to avoid this by building a boat 

 so I can move up or down the river, as it 

 suits the season. I should also like to pro- 

 long the season by going south in the early 

 spring and working north as the season 

 advances. I intend working the Tennessee 

 River as far south as Chattanooga, Tenn. 

 Around Lookout Mountain and the Nation- 

 al Park is a good place for bees — plenty of 



clover, basswood, and poplar; and the hon- 

 ey-flow begins there a month earlier than 

 it does here, while yours is one month later. 

 Now for the questions: 



1. What time does your honey-flow begin? 



2. What time does the basswood flow be- 

 gin in Wisconsin? 



3. Could it be reached along the Missis- 

 sippi or Wisconsin Rivers? 



4. Do you believe it will pay me? 



This is the main question, and the one I 

 am banking on. 



I do not intend to work the bees from the 

 boat. I aim to move, and set them out on 

 the bank. I intend to make a wire-cloth 

 hood to place on top of each colony to keep 

 them from smothering. The material to 

 build the boat will cost S700. I have 16,000 

 miles of water before me to gather honej' on. 

 I have 100 colonies of bees, all in Rootville 

 hives. I would aim to work 200 colonies, 

 not all from the same place, as this would 

 be crowding them. I would have my broth- 

 er as a partner. 



I see in Gleanings that you are riding 

 an auto. Come down and see me this fall, 

 and I will show j'ou some roads that j'ou 

 can speed it on — 2000 miles of macadamized 

 roads right around me; also some good bee 

 country that is never mentioned. I doubt 

 whether it has an equal in the United 

 States. I will give j'ou an idea. Begin- 

 ning 13 years ago, 1890, 300 lbs. per colony; 

 1891, 50 lbs.; 1892, 25 lbs.; 1893, 40 lbs.; 

 1894, nothing; 1895, 25 lbs.; 1896, 10 lbs.; 

 1897, 250 lbs.; 1898, 150 lbs.; 1899, 300 lbs.; 



shed apiaky in CUBA. SEE PAGE 719. — Fvom MuTison Line Bulletin. 



