THE BEE INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2181, 20 June 1914, Page 8

THE BEE INDUSTRY

LAST DAY OF CONFERENCE FACTS ABOUT MARKETS., The annual confcrettcc ot the National Bee-Keepers' Association was carried to it conclusion in tho Ifcpemnw Hall yesterday. Mr. M. O'Brien, secretary of the.New Zea'aad Executive Committee for the Panama basilic International Exposition, waited upon tire conference to explain the conditions under which ox*, nibits of houcy irould be sent to tho .Exposition. T'lk! president (Sir. Jas. Allan) thank«l Mr. O'Biieii, ami said that- the association would probably send an exhibit, whether individuals did so ar not. Mr. ; G. H. Buckcridjjc, chairman of directors of the- New Zealand farmers' Co-operative Organisation Society, addressed the conlcr-ciice on the subject of foreign markets. As a result of his jmrsnnal observations, he stated, lrc w«s trf opinion that neitlwr Fiji nor the Hawaiian Islands afforded a. market for Kcw Zealand Iraucy. His ivqniries on tho Pacific Coast of America hitd extended from British Columbia right down to Los Angeles. In British Columbia trade was in a very depressed state-,, due to ail orer-oxpeidituro of money on public works; nitioh the same troiibb as was- experienced in New Zea-laii-d a cotiplo «f years ago, CatKtda at present was not a -good market far uonej'. They scarcely especte-d to find a Biarkct in California, but bo was agreeabbr surprised to Bud that experts in San Franeise-o and also in Vancouver said that the jNw Zealand honoy, o'i w'liiclt ho exhibited samples, tvas tho best they had ct« scon. The duty mi honey entering California Was two tents a. pound., and the. prices obtainable Weft; not roiniinoFative, About 2i|<[. per lb, was. offered,, but out of this freight and other charges would havo to bo p'aid. TJtiring a- pc-riocl of tlirct- weeks in tfac Old Country he trayelled throtigb England, Ireland, and '. Scotland. A letter he had received from, a London firm indicated that tho bulk of tho' Kew Zeatand honey should bo sent to London, though small.filiipnsEßts might ba stMit trt Liverpool. Owtsktp. London tho demand for honey .was limited. A letter from Liverpool stated tbat tho tk-ivmnd the-ro at prftseat was for cases coiiinfnhit' two tins- of sixty pounds <>aeh, bttt it might be possible to develop the trad© ■by advertising;, ami to pack the fioiroy, belQi'-s it- left- N r o\y Zealand, in smaller He bad also interviewed sup- ! idte-rs at Ho/tie and fainted out to them that since New Zealand supplies caino to hand when this English. market was , depleted, it would -fes -passible- by utilis--ing the ifiiport lionuy to -maintain'tho trade all the yt ; ar round. iHo was in a '. IKiSitiott to state that tho Irish Agrietfl- ; ttiral Co-operative ' Assdeiatioii Would ' imdcrtako the inarfcet-ing of New Xonlanxl policy. By selling tlu-ough this society, New ZTealand wotM get a,s close to the e-oiisuhiDr as it was pstss-ible to g-rt. Ho inqti-iries lis had ssadc 39 to tho niarikC-ts in Wis Did Country bad been very disappointing' to.him. Honey was not in large demand .as an article of diet, arid it was a matter for serious consideration, whottver it would not bo advifiaUla to itirfeta-ko an. adveTt-is-iiig c-smpa.igi). in order- to dorolop. tho trade, Most of tire. New Zealand; honey sent Homo at . tlte proseiit tints ' ■ was used for cfliifoc-tionorf pUfpoSes. : In order to develop tho "trade and g%t the host price,. Jnoiiey must, be popnfaiised a.s aij article af diet, Iti America- a certain aftMmi'it of honey wo,s snld oh railway dinjiig -cars m i-p'dh'idtis-l Jots, . e-onlajhinjc ane ana a half or two ounces ■at a price -of to -cents (or 7jd.)' These were, also ir-sed .im hotels.. Ho was oi;samples of t-heso pots and the, ■costs, aiitl t-liflUgJit- it possible that it ipigbt pa.Vto pack lioiiey i-n iliig. Way in New Jsea'knd for oxpori. . ■ .' ■5A11.5-Wftri.u_g qtinstions, Mr, Bt!«teri%o s.aid that thero was an assured market ■iii. Oreat Britain far all the honey that eo-nld be prodttced hrr.e. but not Itt tho»a'ice %hat was feciuir-cd. Mr. CJaytmi said that it would bo an absolute- impossibility, muter the cflnipuJsory gfadtag system, to osport oiicpo'ttnd paekagos or ttra-oluiep ,i,ars. On the moti-oij <rf Mr. Grilling, ■ Jlr. Btivfeeridgc was thanked for his address. The Regulations. It was agreed «i the motion of Mr. Cotton?!!, that tin? conference , recom-won-tt to'the nn'oitt-ahlo oonsidefation of tile Agriculttirnl l)pp.artment- that tho export regulations in roi'crcftoo to • liMiey tins bo anieinied ta permit the use of raw. linseed ■«) as aii alferrmtivo to-laeqvlpring the tills, lysjcrjilcr, Mr. Coi> tei;rfi stated, was espe-Hsivo and u.nsaiwfaetflry unless put on bv ait ex* • pert, a«l tlik afi-omed to- bo-'the- a;en-. Seral ov>iiiion of delegates, ;, Another Jjraposal.pnt forward by Mr. Cotterell -was that .the Dcpa.rtm«it should be asked to amend the honey es- • fiort regulations by permitting Mw export. «f liquid hanoy 'in packages not ', exeOMlittg ton pounds in weight. ;. This was uttaiiiiiionsiy agriod to, Cradlhg System Upheld, Mr. W. B. Bray (Canterbury} movfid; 'That in the opinion of this- conferenc-e the .inspectors would to maplofei mbre usefully in eradicating dkeaso than ■ in grading haney for espo-rt;" By this, ho esplaincd, he meant that fcl'ia iiiiin for compulsory grading had not conic yet. He -contended that the results of 'tjio ■ grading system had not bet>n satisLtctorj', and that- much better results would bo attained Wider a sysbin of co'fflpiflsofy registrntian of brandsl- 'It had come to nis l?i.iosvl e d.gfl thafc'tljo lowest-grade parcel in a, consignment sent Home had fetehed f,h© best prici. . Similar views were es.pressftd bv Mr. Clayton, and ho endorsed the Vtatel tiienfe ahoa-t bw-grade honcv feteltiiiw tho best price. * " ■Mr. W. JO. Barter said iknt, thd troti-b-lo was that the .inspectors had. too ntitch to do, and he considered .'that Wiore iitspceters should bo employed ■Mr. T. W.' Erk (Diteetor «f Orchards and Apiaries) pointed out that though the grading system was at pro*, sent voluntary, tho bulk of the export hfcney was being submitted for gratfino-. Ho _dec)ar«l 'himself co-nfideiit that grading would eventually confer n,g j-m----por-tant benefits upon the hfttcy indtistry as it bad upon the- dairy industry. Mr. Bray's motion was' dof-catcd by'a largo majority. It was decided that tsm H«rronwnont bo isfced to ajvpomfc additional apiary inspsctors. SrioctallsaHpn. Mr. A. ti'dland (Oantefhtiry) read a paper oh tho subject of sppciaiisatian. lio orjntondod that -speciaHsaiioli on sottiid linos would prodtiOß .as good results as luid been, achieved in tho dairy industry. Registration ol all commercial apiaries should be insisted upon just as in tlte case of dairies, No da nut this would tend to drive out. some of ■the small be>D-koepors, and tend to tho ■specialisation of the industry in tho bands of expert bee-keepers. The small bee-keeper was a great obstacle to progress, and his Methods word in sojwo eases very ansatisfa-ctory. For the proiteetifln of tin? industry the sfltao strict legard lnf sanitfltiun and proper methods that was insisted upon in tho dairy industry should equally, bo in- ■ sistiid upon ia tho Iw.ey iiidustry. If they wished.to develop t-lw export and lioiiK' -tfa-tk, they ninst p-nt their hmisi* in ijr-cler, and estaWfeh a roigd of strict regulation. It- might be said that under this system hardships would be inflicted Wpoii some individuals, but tin* object must be tiu* gveatost jtond to tho greatest number. It was iu small and ili-1-ejjnlaicd apiaries that Ihe conditions ati'su which nttifuatcly tc»dod to deme-r----aliss; tii« miii'kots. . . Mr. F. C. Barnes (fftrsmafci) cpnfcenc!fld thai: even the- apiaries of lufiii who fe>pt oaly » f*w W-vois.jfor their own o.fo ■ ; ■ should be coiispul&onlj:- registcr-ed. it

was in such apiaries that foul brow was ol'lcu Im tie found, and iiuUii»g but nil Ivor sal compulsory registration wmi'd enable inspectors to do their wurk ajstematically. Atr. Ireland sard that tic did not object to universal compulsory regis Iriv tiou, but thought that if any exception wore made it should be only in fa ran 1 of boe-liii'oju/rs why kept n Jew hives for thoir two use. Concluding Business. Delegates discussed the place *'''* date ol the next conference, unci it was finally decided to recommend tho executive to hold the conference .in "Weiliiigtou. about-the date of tho King's Birthday (June 3). • Tho amendments w the constitution, summarised in The Dominion yesterday, wore finally confirmed. The committee set up to consider the cstabiishtec&t of a National Bee-keep-ers Journal reported that tho project was feasible, uiul it was decided to go on with it. j Tho secretary reported that the Department of Agriculture had promised a Kraut of £20 towards the cost of winting iho conference proceedings. A vote of thanks was passed to Mr, Kirk for his assistance in the matter. The question of railway freights genera 11.v was referred to the incoming ©se■eutivft, Officers were elected for the ensuing yea*- as follow :—President, Mr. Jus. Allan (re-elcctedS; vicc-pMsjdeiit, Mr. J. 5, Cottorcll (reelected); secretary, Mr. ,K. W. BrickeH {re-elected),_ Members of the executive representing the North Island, Messrs. ft Hutchinson ] and Mr. H. W. Gilling; members tsf ; the executive representing the South Is- ■ land, Messrs, C. A. Jacobseu and A. : Ireland: auditor, Mr. V. C: Baincs. In the latter part, of the afternoon the Ctovoniwent graders gave a practi- : enj demonstration of honey-grading. ■Tlbj conference broke up shortly after j 4 p.m. i Dairy Fanners should make it. an. «b----salute duty to see our suiserb exhibit at. tiin MiiMiWiitu Show. It's-the finest on the ground. JOHN CMAMBEKS AND, SON,' LTD., Wellington,*