The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-07-28
rsrns-sinsls Copy. Cents; sy Mail. ss-is A4v..s.g
NEW ORLEANS SUNDAY MORNING, JULY 2e 1873

from New Orleans to st. Paul, the idea OF the
| floating apiary was conceived. The bloom lasts
from two to eight weeks, according to situa.
ton. 1t sets in early In April In Louisiana,
and is In it's perfection very late In the summer
| in Minnesota, and . steamboat travelling by
night. and lying at the bank in the daytime,
could follow this bloom and keep the bees in
the very zenith of the honey making time ALI
| through the spring and summer, thereby in
crsssing the yield of honey In the ratio that
the possibilities of the blossoms are enjoyed.
binary length and the little sternwheel steamer
James A Fraser. Whatever of failure has
attended the enterprise Is due to the inferior
speed of the boat and series of exasperating g
accidents to her machinery.
The two bsrges were provided with shelvin g
and 400 hives Of bees placed upon each. All
varieties of honey makers were introduced, as
the enterprisipe Captain desired to make his
experiments as broad aud thorough rs possibl
The hives were painted In contrasting colors
in order that the little workers could return
to the proper hive. the oolors aiding each in
distinguishing his homo by comparative locA'
ton.
The intention vss to start on April /, but
accidents made delay until May IL unavoid.
begun to fade by this time Many persons who
took keen interest in the venture were
dut rus as to its success, aud advised against
ing bis own money, "aii for TRUTH snd on
May 10 he steam I'd odtof the New OrleAhs hef.
Dor in the presence of o vast copcourse Of pso-
pie, and soon struck the widowed levees:. A
run of . day and night brought him to aplacc
in every way favorable.
Capt. Perrine ran up to bank at point
some forty miles south Of Vioksburg and re-
Like boys released from the confinement of
school, away they sped to the willows and
sought, the depths of the fragrant blossoms.
Capt. Psrrine @ Hw1ited patiently and was re-
each with bis sweet load, and by sundown the
succ sss of the experiment was assured. A very
few of those releAaed had wandered ont into |
the world, while now and then q belated lott
erer arrived and entered his cell.
Capt. Psrrine went to bed happy man that |
night and dreamed of whole hsets of floating |
beauty of which made bis mouth water as be
dreamed on. The next day but added tothe
success of the preceding one. There was o
small loss in the original number of the bees
each day, but it was more than made up by
The reornits of vagraut bees. who had probably
learned from tho visitors Of their happy and
position. This had been foreseen,
and sixty Ve empty hives had been placed
1pon the boat for that purpose.
The Fraser slowly towed the colony up the
liver, and all was going well, when. on an un-
ucky dsy, the shaft of the steamer broke, and
;he fleet was Obliged tn lay mp at point not
favorsb'e fIr honey making until
nessengers were sent TO Kew Orleans with the
broken machinery. Three weeks were thus
1ees began to suffer, and many of them died.
When the machinery IVES again in order, ali
taste was made up the ream, day and night,
Until the spring bloom was ovsrtaken. Good
ouutry had just bsen reached, and the bees
we're fsirly At work, when the "Doctor," 8
most important feature of o boats machinery,
yAa bopelessly broken, and another wait oftwo
Veeks was enforced, pending the necessary
epsrs.
The spring bloom had move further north, {
nd the boat was making such slow progress q
nth the barRes that Capt. Perrine, in view OF )
be further fact that he had started month 7
ster, concluded to abandon the b1r9ss The G
eehives were transferred to the boat proper, a
nd then night and day the little steamer Il
,aveled up the river until the blossoms were u
gain overtaken. Every few days the boat Ii
ould stop, the hives be taken ashore, and the
ees released, and when the vicinity was ex. Ii
austed, they would be reloaded, and the run Q
Sde for another garden spot. Even with this I
slay the experiment he6 proved succOssfnl. .
be bees are all doing we'll, and are making 8
oney with facility gratifying to their owner. II
be trip will be made through to st. Paul, and
len the bees will be taken South for the win
r. Satisfied that he had struck Q successful
luton of the problem of how to insure the p
'ney supply, Capt. PsrFine will complete bis U
during the winter for an apiary
q still larger scale, and will leave New Or "
ans on April 1, 1879, with 1000 hives, toWed o,
Q boat of assured speed and power. "