PERFECTING THE BEE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1782, 21 June 1913, Page 8

PERFECTING THE BEE.

MOKE STRINGENT ACT' URGED. MK. MASSEY INTERVIEWED. Members of the National Beekeepers' Association, which has been holding a Dominion conference in Wellington this week, waited yesterday as a deputation upon tho Hon. W. F. Massey in his capacity as Minister for Agriculture. The members of the deputation were :-Messrs. H. B. Miller, J. S. Cottere 11, E. Gibb, and J. Allan. Mr. T. W. Ivirk, Director of Orchards, Gardens, and Apiaries Division of the' Department- of Agriculture, also at Tli6 C dopntation asked that Government inspectors of apiaries should be provided with motor-cycles as, la tho abssnco 01 means of rapid, transit, they Tver© at present unable to cover sufficient ground. It was also asked that the queen beeraising apairy .at tho Waerenga Farm should be retained, and that control ot the Government apiaries should be transferred from tho 1 ield and Experimental Farms Division to tho Orchards, Gardens, and Apiaries Division. It was stated that tho latter chango would remove a number of anomalies. It was further asked that the Apianes Act should be amended so a3 to authoriso the Governor-in-Council to issue regulations prohibitine the introduction into New Zealand ot bees honey, comb-foundation, appliances, or anything likely to introduce disease; also bringing from one specified portion of" New Zealand to another, bees, honey, comb-foundation, or anything likely to spread disease. Other proposals were that certain ports should be specified as the only ports of entries for bees, honm . appliances, etc., that regulations should be issued prescribing the manner in I which infected bees, appliances, etc.. should be treated, cleansed, destroyed, or otherwise disposed of; should be registered, and that general power should be token to mako necessary regulations under tho Act. It was further suggested that all such regulations should be laid before Parliament within 14 days when it was m or, failing this, within .U days i of tho commencement of the next session. Supporting their requests, membere of the deputation stated that lack of the proposed (additions to the Act was practically forcing beekeepers into partial or complete bankruptcy. As showing the importance of tho industry, they stated that they hoped to export 130 tons of honey, valued at .£45,000, for tho year. Thoy were going to ask for. compulsory grading; the industry had a good future ahead of it, and honey should bulk largely i n the Dominion J s exports in futuro vears.- Tho present Act, it was stated, had holped largely in tho direction of discovering careless beekeepers, and in checking the increase of diseased bees. _ The Prime Minister, in replying, said that ho would do what ho could to meet tho reciuests advanced by the deputation, and would consider the question of introducing this session an amendment to tho \pianes Act on tho lines suggested.

- The reasons why "Victor Vats have been so favourably received by Cheeso Factory Managers aro not far to seek. In tho first place the workmanship and material of these vats are excellent, that ther outlast tho old style vats, and give vearfl' of good service. Secondly, tlio "Victor" with its sloping bottom helps to produco cheese of a high-grade quality, that brings better returns. I lie "Victor" has helped others—it can help you—if vou don't possess one of the hundreds tliat havo been installed. hend for particulars to-day. Albert J. Parton, Plumber. Carterton—Advt.

BEES AND APIARIES. s THE LOCAL MARKET. The annual conference of the National Beekeepers' Association of New Zealand was resumed yesterday morning, Mr. C. A. Jacobsen presiding. Tho development of the local market was an important su.bjcct occupying the consideration of tho conference during tlie morning. Mr. H. W. Brickell read ail instructive) paper on this feature ot the industry, and urged .that at a low estimate the local market was capablo ot .consuming 2500 tons. Ho was strongly m favour of . advertising, because advertising not only increased the consumption, but raised the price. He advocated exhibiting at locaishows as a very cheap method ot advertising. Further, they should standardise their product, and fix a price. This should not ba left to the buyer. Dealing with the same subject, Mr. J. Allan said the market I 'was. capable of great development. One essential to this was intrinsic value. Honey was gathered by the bees from various sources. At. certain-times of tho, year the bees got oft the clover, and started on ragwort. One season represented, tho best and. the other tho worst in honey, and good honey had. to be put'on the 1 market to build-up the demand. Tho method of putting honey on. the market was another - important point. Some years ago ho had dcciaed to put hiH honey up in pots, and now he found a ready sale at Gd. per pound, where previously he had a dragging sale at 4d. Thero wag no opposition in the New Zealand honey market, and by studying retailers' and consumers' wants, honey should be put on -every table. Ho suggested that they should have their honey graded for the local, as well as the Home, market, and he moved: "That it be an instruction to tho incoming executive to confer with Sir. T. W. Kirk as to tho possibility of grading for local consumpMr. Kirk advised members to look first to the establishment of an export trado, and the local 'trade would follow. If they formed a co-operativo association they must remember that . absolute loyalty thereto was esssntial to success. In reply, Mr. Brickell said he was not opposed to export trade, but he held that when the local market was developed there would be no great need for it. Mr. Allan's motion was carried, as also was a motion requesting Mr. Kirk to instruct his inspectors to collect samples of honey for analysis, in order that it mi"ht b» shown that no New Zealand honey contained such a largo percentage of water as was allowed by the regulations. ... Concerning Co-operation. The report of the committee set up to consider a co-operative ■ export scheme wag submitted. Tho report set out that the executive should be asked * o obtain information from the Colorado Honey Producers' Association of lowa, and the Western Honey Association of lowa. It was suggested that upon the receipt of this information the execu.tivo should formulate and put into force for next honey season a workable schcmotor obtaining tho highest price for New 4ealand honey, on an export basis. The report was adopted, and it was resolved to request the High Commissioner to include honey in bis reports upon the London markets. _ r „ _ m„j Oil the motion of Mr. W. H °SP c .f p*™' it was resolved to -request the High C6mmisrfoncr to include. New ZMlanJ honey amongst any exhibits made by tho New Zealand Government at dairymen s,. takers', and confectioners shows in England.

.Railway Rates, Messrs..J. Allan, R. W. Brickell, and H W. Gilling waited upon the Minister for Railways (Hon. W. 11. Hemes) during the day to ask for an amendment of tho railway tariff in regard to honey. Mr. T. W. Kirk introduced tho deputa--11 Mr. Allan stated that butter'was almost three times the value of honey, there was to bo any difference of rates ther thought it should fawur hon<Cr. Honey was charged at the rate of bs. 6d per ton, per 100 miles, as against lis. Gd. for butter. - When only a small quantity of honey was carried those randitiong may havo been fair, bnt. conditions were different now. In \ictoria the rate was only 14s. lid. for honey. ' The Minister replied that ho proposed to undertake a general revision, of. the tariff when the new manager arrived, and this suggestion would then receive consideration. A New Field. Mr.' W. •D. Lysnar, of Gisborne, addres4d the conference on the question of placing New Zealand produce on tho Home market, with particular reference to the West of England ports, in preference to London. He referred to the formation of the Bristol and Dominions Producers' Association, whose agents could be relied on to handle any produce sent to England. Replying to questions, Mr. Lysnar said, there should bo no difficulty in arranging for tho bottling and labelling of bulk lots sent Home. Honey could go Home in bulk, ajid could be done up into small quantities. This had been iprovided for in regard to butter. Further questions were answered, ana Mr. Lysnar was accorded a vote of thanks. Election of Officers. The election, of officers for the ensuing year resulted as follows-.-President, Mr. J. Allan (Southland); vice-president, Mr. J S C'ottrell; secretary and / treasurer, Mr. R, W. Brickell (Dunedin); Messrs. S. Hutchinson (Waikato), H. W. Gilling (Taranaki) for North Island, and A. Ireland (Canterbury) and R(VVyndham), South Island; auditor, Mr. F. C. Baines (Taranaki). Tho retiring president and esecutiw were accorded a- vote of thanks for the good work they had done in the past. Mr. T. H. Pearson (\\aikato) moved that "it bo a recommendation to tho executive to hold the next conference at Auckland during tho Exhibition. Tho motion was carried. ■ II was decided to donate the honey brought to the conference for demonstration "to the Children's Hospital. At the conclusion.of the conference it was decided that Mr. B. Gtbb should undertako tho publication of the official report. ''