HONEY CROP

Hokitika Guardian, 7 March 1930, Page 7

HONEY CROP

SMALL AUCKLAND OUTPUT. AUCKLAND, March 4. As .had been predicted by experts earlier in the season, the honey crop for the Auckland Province will not be one half of the usual - quantity and will probably be a little over onethird. Excessively wet weather was experienced during the months of December and January, the chief gathering periods of the bees’ years, which while inducing fairly good growth, prevented the bees from collecting nectar. Reports received by the Government apiarist,. Mr V. Westbrooke, show that the crop over the whole of the Dominion is less than usual, except in Otago and parts of Canterbury, where an average amount appears to be forthcoming. Definite quantities produced will not be known until the first grading just begun by the New Zealand Co-operative Honey Producers’ Association has been completed. The tea-tree crop in some of the bays to the north of Auckland promises well, and it seems certain that a good winter cron will be gathered. Mr Westbrooke expressed the opinion that it would not be long before tea-tree honey was a popular "rude. Its flavour was very similar to the much-vaunted *eotch heather honey, while its strength rendered it verv economical i» lisp, At the present time it was sold chiefly in comb. A warning to aniarists not to deplenish unduly the winter Honl.-s fot- bees consumption was made "'r,. Westbrooke. who said that the fending of sugar to bees when the stock of natnr" 1 food honey was used un"-ns bad practice. A colony of bees usually reouired 3011) or <o 'h of honov to carrv them over to tlm no'-f season.