The Apiary.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 237, 11 April 1896, Page 2

The Apiary.

A Visit to Mr Stark's, Campbelltown. (Fl'vOM A CORRESPONDENT.) As a number of your readers arc doubtless interested in " the little busy bee," the following particulars may prove to be readable matter. I remember Mr Stark some years ago in Bulls when he commenced to take an interest in bee keeping. Finding his efforts rewarded he removed to Campbelltown, which he considered to be a more suitable place, where he has devoted the most of his attention to this industry. He has now nearly two hundred hivef; to attend to from which he gathers each season, through the industry of the " busy bee", between two and three tons of honey. During my visit, Mr Stark was busily engaged " cleaning up " as he termed it. A quantity of diseased comb was being treated. The cleau combs had been previously dealt with and the whole of the best honey cxI tracted aud packed in tins. The following information was gleaned on enquiries made: — "Do you find this industry to be remunerative Mr Stark ?" " Well, my wife said to me one day : 1 If the people want to know of you how you are doing, just point them to your trousers.' " That portion of the dress of Mr Stark about which the ladies are discussing the use of just now, was rather delapidated. " I presume that the industry, Mr Stark, requires some study ?" " Yes, you may read a lot in books on the question, but such do not make you efficient. A man may read how to build a house, but it requines practice before he becomes a skilled artisan, I have found that to carry out the instructions you read in books would not prove successful in this business. In fact my experience teaches that what I do ono season will be totally wrong the next. I have to study the weather. During gome season's more honey is required to feed the bees than at others. " How junch honey is required to fceep your bees through the winter ? " "About a ton, or from a ton to a ton and a half." " Where is the principal market for the j sale of your honey ? " I " I sell some locally, and some I send ! to Dunedin and other places." " What is about the price yon realise ? " " The sales scarcely ever average more than about threepence per Ib." Mr Stark was treating the diseased comb while I was present. He informed me that he had to be careful with this and keep it away from the bees, as the disease is carried back again to the hives if the bees got at it. Mr Stark has a very simple machine for extracting the honey. Of course it ia from America. Remarking about the freight he said -. " This machine cost me just as much again as what I paid lor it in America, landed here. The freight from Wellington to Feilding was as much as it cost to send it about one thousand miles by train in America." Mr Stark used to pack a considerable qaantity of honey in one and two pound tins, but now the principal portion is packed in four gallon tins. Mr Stark thinks that the furthest the 1 busy bee ' travels for honey is about four miles. Mr Stark takes a great interest in his large family, and a person visitiug the apiary would also feel interested if he is not afraid of the Bting of the bees.