IDEAL BEE COUNTRY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20106, 28 November 1939, Page 10

IDEAL BEE COUNTRY

COASTS POSSIBILITIES VISIT OF INSTRUCTOR ROOM FOR 1000 HIVES The possibilities available to those on the East Coast interested in beekeeping were the subject of an address in Ruatoria on Friday evening by Mr. G. V. Westbrooke, apiary instructor for the district. llis talk was given to a meeting of the members of the Ruatoria branch of the New Zealand Bee-keepers’ Association. The president. Mr. E. Moricc, was chairman.

On his previous visit, Mr. Weslbrooke said, he had expressed the opinion that the district around Ruatoria would be ideal for bee-keeping, and he felt now that lie could reaffirm that opinion because lie had.seen what could be done with a few well-kept colonies of bees.

He had also made a tour in the district and up some of the fertile valleys, and thought that the country was capable of carrying over 1000 hives. While clover was in abundance and the bees now under regulation were storing honey in large quantities. On Saturday morning Mr. Westbrookc visited some of flic bee-keepers and gave them advice -as to the best methods. In the afternoon the showery weather did little to detract from the success of file association’s field day at the apiary of Mrs. O. T. Williams at Titiraukena station, where the hives were opened and manipulations explained by Mr. Westbrooke. A part in the demonstration was taken by Mr. P. Richards, Waipiro Bay. and he was kept busy answering questions relating to bee culture. ■ The larger number- of amateur beekeepers expressed' their appreciation of the instructor’s assistance*,and Mr., Westbrooke said it was pleasing to note that practically all the “box hives” had been changed .for modern, legal hives.