The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-05-02
A FLOATING BEE PALACE.
An Enormous piary slowly Migrating Up
the mississippi River.
From the New Orleans Picayune.l

From the New OrleaHe AAo"y uA1V'l
We learn that two barges have been
fitted no IN Kennerville, La. for an i'm
mense floating apiary. Each barge has
a capacitv of j 900 hives OF bees. These
will be towed slowly up the river during
the spring and early summer, passing
this CITY about the first of June, and ar
irving in ST. Paul in July; returning, will
reach Louisiana in October. But we
will let the PicoqAyae give a full de-
scription of the novel undertaking.
Mr.. Per1ine has been in Louisiana
eighteen months studying up the bee
business and preparing for the grand
onward movement for which he will be
ready in a few days. His plan is to
start with his bee palaces and his 1000
colonies from Southern Louisiana when
the honey flowers are in full bloom, to
remain but day or two at landing,
and move up each night to another lano-
ing and fresh field. He thinks the bees
OF from 1000 to 1900 colonies will take
the cream from the country around the
landing from one TO two miles distant in
one or two days. Tn this manner he ex-
poets to move up the Mississippi to st.
Paul, distance Of nearly 2, 900 miles,
where he will arrive about the last of
July.
Returning, he will halt about two
months somewhere above ST. Louis, and
will reach Louisiana with his palaces
and bees in October. It will be his OBJ
iect to take the autumnal flowers at each
point in their prime precisely as he takes
the spring flowers in his advance up the
river. He expects his early swarms on
his boats to increase bis colonies to 1000
in April and May.
The colonies of bees are in hives with
movable comb, on the most approved
plan of modern hives. These stand in
four walls, five hives one above the
other, nearly the whole length Of the
boat, about $50 hives in each line.
The walls of the colonies on the right
side and on the left side have openings
for the bees to come out on the water
front. A space of two feet between the
hives and the guards answers for gal
lery for the bee man to walk on in front
of the hives.
In the middle of the boat there are
two other walls Of colonies, $50 hives in
each, facing an inner court six feet in
width. The bees from these colonies
reach the open air through the skylight
opening in the roof above the court
Between the first and second rows of
hives from the outside there is an aisle
three feet in width for the convenience of
the bee man in handling the hives and
the honey.
The distance from the barge deck to
the roof over the colonies is fifteen feet.
The space below decks is ten feet IN
width and about seven feet high, and is
to be used for sleeping apartments,
making and repairing hives, handling
and extracting honey and putting it in
marketable shape. The dining-room
and cooking will be on the steamer that
towa the bee feet.
To run the steamer and manage the
barges and bees from fifteen to twenty
hands will be needed. The cost of the
whole establishment, barges, bees,
steamer and the complete outfit will not
be much short Of SIS, 1000.
Mr.. Perrine has been engaged in the
honey business in Chicago twelve or
thirteen years, and has lately made it a
special study. He has dealt largely in
California honey. He expects to find
the best market for his honey in Europe.
Honey in the comb usually sells at
about 20 cents a pound wholesale.
Strained honey sells at wholesale at 7
or s cents pound, or from so cents to
81 gallon. A gallon of strained honey
weighs about twelve pounds.
The demand for honey is increasing
in the United States, but Europe fur
nishes the best market for this article.
The plan of moving bees to get the
benefit of different ranges and fresh
flowers has been tried in small way in
some parts of Europe. They are moved
both in carts and in boats.