FLOATING APIARIES. 309 



ing bees on boats, which were floated up and down the Nile 

 to take advantage of the different crops of honey at different 

 points. 



It would even appear that the Greeks in the time of Colu- 

 mella transported their hives to Egypt by sea, " the sea- 

 son of blossoms being later than in Greece ; for after the 

 month of September there is no pasture in Achaia for bees, 

 whilst in Egypt flowers are in full bloom even after that 

 time, owing to the receding of the high waters of the Nile." 

 He relates a laughable story about one of these floating 

 Apiaries. One hive having been upset by accident on a 

 boat, the enraged bees attacked the mariners unexpectedly, 

 and forced them to jump into the river and swim to the 

 shore, which likely, was not far distant, nor did they dare 

 return, until they had provided themselves with a supply of 

 smoke-producing ingredients. 



592. There is a certain amount of fascinating romance 

 connected with the idea of a floating Apiary, following the 

 blossoms, on the waters of the great Mississippi, or of some 

 of its tributaries. An attempt of this sort was made on a 

 large scale, a few years ago, by a Chicago firm. It was a 

 total failure, but we are inclined to think that the failure 

 was due more to the lack of practical knowledge in bee- 

 keeping, on the part of the managers, than to any other 

 cause. 



593. Transportation of bees from a location where 

 blossoms are scarce to a good field, and returning them 

 after the crop, is sometimes attended with fair success. 

 Some Apiarists, located in places where the June crop alone 

 can be depended upon, make it a practice to transport their 

 hives to Fall pasturage every Summer. We, ourselves, have 

 taken 120 hives of bees, about eighteen miles, to the Missis- 

 sippi river bottoms, in August, 1880, when the drouth had 

 destroyed all hopes of a Fall harvest on the hills. The 

 high waters of the Mississippi, which had receded a few 



