1878 - The Unsinkable Mr. Perrine and His Floating Apiary

The editor of The Bee-Keepers Magazine in 1878 announced the new obsession of Mr. Perrine...a floating apiary.  People still were astounded by Perrine's rudeness to his British hosts the previous year.

"We understand that since the return of Mr. P. to our shores he is reviving the ancient practice of floating apiaries and that he will have a barge of sufficient capacity for one thousand hives to ply up and down the Mississippi the coming season.
 Starting probably from New Orleans about February, coasting along by night and casting anchor by day to afford his "Cyprian and Egyptian pets'' a chance to explore the new world and gather in its luscious nectar, he will finally arrive at the mouth (end) of the Big Horn River at the close of the honey season. "

Neither trustworthy beekeeper nor businessman, Mr. Perrine seems to have lived in a dream world. The incredibly seductive idea of floating apiaries grabbed him hard, and, to his credit, he got the barges fitted out.  If you know bees at all, this tale will have you shaking your head!  

This article is from the British Bee Journal, February 1879.

THE AMERICAN FLOATING APIARY. 

At the West Illinois and East Iowa Convention, held in October last, Mr. Perrine was requested to give a word-picture of his floating apiary, which he did as follows:—

'What first induced me to go into it, was the want of white comb honey. I can got all I want of coloured honey, but want hundreds of tons of white honey for my house. I began the honey business at Cincinnati in 1865, removed to Chicago in 1869, where I continued the business, keeping my hands at work, peddling direct to the consumer. I wanted to extend my business and did so in the Eastern States, afterward in Europe.

 I received some lots of very nice honey from California, and depended on them greatly for my supply of white honey, but it did not come. I got a big order from Europe, had a great deal of trouble to fill it, and could not do it entirely. Could not get such honey as we wanted to ship there.

'We packed comb and extracted honey in jars and had great difficulty from its candying. Boiling honey hurts its flavour. I went into the country to see bee-keepers about getting nice honey by migratory bee-keeping. Going from place to place could get no encouragement.

 I went South and found lots of white clover, have travelled in the South considerably.

I thought I could make a good thing by planting some seed of good honey plants, so I got $60 worth of melilot clover seed, and I have it yet.    I tried to get land to plant it on, but could not get it.

Then I resolved to try the floating apiary, and began to build two barges.

While not with a honeybee this photo is of Melilot,
Yellow Sweet Clover. It was an introduced species
 in the US but became famous for the amount
 of honey a pasture would yield.

I was kept from starting as early as I wanted to, fully six weeks, by a variety of causes beyond my control. I did not get as many bees as I wanted. Our machinery broke down twice, which threw us back eight days. We were getting behind all the time, so we closed up the hive, with wire cloth. Our colonies were strong, and we lost about fifty by smothering. Owing to lateness of the season, I concluded not to go far North and put my bees on shore about sixty miles above St. Louis. My bees are in good condition for wintering.

The floating apiary is an experiment yet. I put about $12,000 in the venture, and I shall keep trying till I know whether it will succeed or not. I invite any of you who wish, to come down and see us. I expect to take my bees to New Orleans this winter. I may not bring all my bees North, but keep some down there for experiment. I propose to try the house-apiary principle on the boats. 

I would like to ask some one who knows, if bees notice colour more than form. A great many bees get into the river, possibly 2o per cent. The rivers in the South run on ridges, and when the river rises, it runs over into bayous and deposits soil, slanting off into the swamps. The little streams all run swiftly. There are many peculiar things about working barges: have to keep the same side of the barge to the shore all the time. 

I propose to put the bees on the boats this time in cold weather, then they will come out and fly a few at a time. I think bees return to their hives more by form than by colour. I have tried different colours. We got but few new swarms, the honey did not come in fast enough. I had a little steamer that cost me $2900, and sold it at a loss of $900. I thought of going up as far as St. Paul, but owing to difficulties could not do it. I propose to tow my bees only by night next year.  My boats are near 120 feet long. I shall wait till the weather is quite cold before I go South.'