Regional Differences mthin the United States 217 



There are many plants which furnish nectar in tlie various 

 portions in the valley and if the apiary were moved 

 northward the bees often would leave behind them a honey- 

 flow from another source. If migratory beekeeping from 

 south to north and then back south with the closing season 

 proves successful it will probably be within the nectar-secret- 

 ing area of a single species of plant or perhaps of two species, 

 one for each direction of the journey. The Mississippi River 

 plan was tried several years ago on a rather extensive scale 

 without success. 



The experiment of moving an apiary south for the winter 

 for the purpose of making increase has recently been tried. 

 If one is raising bees for sale and has a heavy demand for 

 colonies that may pay but the chances of success in following 

 this plan for honey-production are small. 



The limitations of migratory beekeeping, in so far as 

 present successes indicate them, have not been previously 

 pointed out. They are approximately as follows : The 

 movement of bees must not be from one general region to 

 another, as from the white clover region to the alfalfa region, 

 but from a location where the flora is that of the general 

 region to a restricted region where the honey-flow comes at a 

 different time, usually later. For example, it has been found 

 profitable to practice the following plans in migratory bee- 

 keeping : (1) from white clover to sweet clover, buckwheat, 

 Spanish needle or heartsease, (2) from sage to bean or (3) 

 from one of the restricted regions in the South to another. 

 As previously mentioned, the honey-flow at the temporary 

 out-apiary usually comes after the main honey-flow at the 

 permanent apiary. In most such cases, the conditions 

 demand the production of extracted-honey, as comb-honey 

 production and migratory beekeeping are not well suited 

 to each other. 



In considering the possibility of migratory beekeeping 

 it must be decided whether it is desirable to move the bees 

 or simply the beekeeper. In other words, if the trip is a 

 long one involving considerable expense and danger of loss 



