THE HONEY CROP

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2664, 8 January 1916, Page 8

THE HONEY CROP

SEASON'S PROSPECTS DISCUSSED. The Director of tho Horticulture Di- : vision of the Department of Agriculture has received from the. Apiary Instructors the following reports concerning : honey crop prospects:— Auckland.—During this month tie hoes have been very busy, aiid the nectar is comixig in freely. - The pastures are now becoming somewhat dried up, snd a good soaking, rain would do a great amount of g00d... ..'There is but little section honey now sold on the . -Auckland market, as the poor prices in the past have driven! beekeepers to produce - extracted honey. / Beeswax is Komowhat'lower in price) a. large quan.tity halving arrived, fromthe ■■Which-formerly' was sent to 6erntany. ■ WeJliugton—The season is not snfficiaitly . advanced for . this year's honey to bo offering, and last year's supply is .practically,; depleted.• • •'.Under' favour- • able conditions'the crop should surpass last year's,' but ;a considerable amount of feeding had,to be done during the ispnng, especially,' in'Taranaki. Tho Btooksv on' the whole, are in good condition for.the flow, and.'fiiie weather with occasional showers. from' n6w on should result; in., an average crop being' gathered. _ V'. . Chnstclvurcli.—What few slight show®rs have ifallen. on the;plains were imanodiately dried up by the hot winds wjiioh have been so prbvalent this season. consequently very'little honey has Jieen stored; in* the. supers; in. many in-. stauces the vApiary Instructor has suggested putting-on .feeder's to save bees dying 01' starvation in DeceinKer. . In niany parts the prospects are not encouraging;- . Those beekeepers who are situated in close-proximity to the hills ind bush'country are iii' rather' a more iortunato position; ■ Some severe frosts at the' beginning of' December destroyed ; the early clover bljiom, flax coming .into' bloom, arid many other sources of nectar suffered baalx-. Even hardy plaints like the ivy appeared as if scorched .with fire. Unless more favourable conations prevail very soon, honey will bo itearco. _ - . ' " Dunedin.—There is little fresh to report.' " Already, beekeepers anticipate a. light crop in South Canterbury and North Otago. Li Southland, tho prospeojrs of a good crop are excellent. At this time last year the beekeepers were busy feeding, but this season the bees ■have steadily; increa-sed tho store of nectar. Given a spell of fine weather, a heavy crop will be secured. The Smithfield and Pareora Freezing Works- both , opened, for' killing for the season on . Wednesday, states.;' the Timaru; ''Herald." . Both . were well supplied with stock, farmers and graziers being anxious to quit their fat stock without delay, 60 as to be in a . better position to conserve, the fastvanishing feed. •It is predicted that the season will be a short one, that .when the-first drafts of fats are disposed of it will be difficult to get sub-' sequent -lots unless the weather takes a quick change for the better.

! Thero has -been a irreat demand for the oelebratsd Victor cheese vat during the ; 1 ' .past few months; anyone requiring. new vats-are. urged to write-immediately to the mater, as material ,is extremely ' short. Albert J. Parton, Carterton.—Advt. i;; : ; ■ the'demarid'for clear-headed ii-r... constructive thinking'';;in-; business been V' ~,-so -urgent as it is right now.- -We are living; in- a progressive age,' 'and must -take i advantage of all. up-to-date -methods. It j- i' is in savings from waste of', any description that money is made: to-day,- and by concentrating one's efforts'? on all details ; of our business we claim, to be able to i . produce , results for our many cream suppliers. We'want more cream. Can you -. supply us? ' Further particulars, Wanga- ; nui Fresh Food Co.—Advt.