THE HONEY CROP

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 176, 15 April 1918, Page 8

THE HONEY CROP

i REVIEW OF THECONmTIONS. The Director of tlio Horticulture Division of the Department of Agriculture has received from the apiary instructors the following report concerning tlio honoy crop prospects :— Auckland. —Large quantities of honey arc now arriving at the grading store, and as this will be for export the local markets will necessarily bo bare. Trices have advanced considerably since last report. Merchants are offering Is. 2d. for special, Is. Id. for prime, and Is. for good irrespective of colour. In tho Waikato and Thames Valley the average per colony is well up to 1501b. Wellington.—Tlio honey crop prospects ending March 31 have, on the ... whole, proved satisfactory. The crops, fj however, have been varied and patchy, S but prices have been so good that any jjji ■ deficiency will be more than made up. jsjjj Local sales are at tho rate of Is. per I|j 1 lb. plus the cost of the package. Beesgj j wax 2s. per lb. H j pnnedin.—The season has varied conW \ siderably throughout southern districts, p! Taken altogether, the crop is a normal I i one, and the quality up to standard. B j Owing to the scarcity of extractors ex- £ j tracting is not quite finished in- some I! districts, but the bulk of the honey I! has been dealt with. Sections are i|' coming in freely, whilst bulk honey is lis ! in short supply for local wants, due uo I j doubt to 'the greater portion of the I j crop being exported. Prices are firm. j Bulk at 9d..; sections, 7s. 6d. jto 9s. There is no pat honey offer- | ing. Beeswax is scarce, and is realisI ing up to Is. 9d. per lb. ; Particulars of shipments of dairy j produce from the Port of Auckland for j the month of March show that tho i Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company j exported 57,695 doses of butter, as { compared with 49,847 boxes in Februi ary and 49,002 hoses in March, 1917. : Last month's shipments represent an i approximate value of £230,750, or an I increase of £35,000 compared with the' ! corresponding period last year. During ! the nine months of the present season, ] ended March 31, 346,956 hoxes have h 1 been exported, compared with 355,943 I; boxes for the corresponding period last I j year. During March 6632 crates of I j cheese were shipped from Auckland I j against 17,306 crates for the correI I sponding month in 1917. The exports I I for the nine months of the present seaI son were 64,353 crates, compared with a 58,380 crates for the same period last k season.