By my advice, Mr. Wm. W. Cary, of Coleraine, Mass., a very skillful bee-keeper, and a thoroughly trustworthy man, was sent for by Mr. Parsons. One of the queens was entrusted to his care, on the premises of Mr. Parsons, and the other to Mr. Bodmer, some distance off, who did not raise queens enough even to pay for the black bees and honey which were purchased for his use; while Mr. Cary Italianized a large apiary for Mr. Parsons, besides filling all his orders for queens.
One hundred and eleven queens were carried to California, by Mr. A. J. Biglow, 108 of which reached there in good condition. This small per cent. of loss was, in part, owing to the skillful supervision of Mr. Biglow, and to the purifying flight which, by my advice, he gave them on the Isthmus of Panama; but all his precautions would have been of no avail but for the judicious way in which they were prepared by Mr. Cary and himself, for so long a voyage. The bees sent to Mr. Parsons were in cigar boxes, into which the combs were merely crowded or wedged: the loosening of the combs on so rough a voyage killed some of the queens, while others were drowned, with their bees, in honey; and others, still, starved from the boxes being over-crowded with bees. It is hardly necessary to contrast Mr. Biglow's success with the heavy losses sustained for years by those who imported bees from Europe. The result of Mr. Parsons' dealings with Herman were, that for $1,200 advanced to him, he had only 2 queens to show. The next season Mr. Bodmer, having learned how to pack bees for a sea voyage, brought over a number of queens in good condition, for Mr. E. W. Rose, but was very unfortunate in the management of them. Herman came, some years after, to this country, and was employed by a friend of mine in Philadelphia, to purchase for him, in Italy, a large number of queens. The return voyage was long and stormy, and every queen died on board the steamer.