BEEKEEPING.

Shannon News, 17 August 1928, Page 1

BEEKEEPING.

AN EXPERT'S ADVICE. Aii interesting and instructive lecture, on beekeeping was given at the Prc§bytcrian. Sunday School, Levin, by Mr D. S. Robinson, Government Apiary Instructor, to members of the Horowheuua Beekeepers' Association and the general public. Mr A. Hinde occupied the chair, and in liis openiug remarks, when introducing the speaker, briefly outlined the .previous lecture on beekeeping, given % Mr.iiobj.nson, and urged those present to join up with their Association; lie pointed out the benefits of the association, and outlined briefly their programme - for the future.-season, which was to ask Mr Bobinson to give at least one more lantern- lecture, and a number of practical demonstrations at various apiaries in the district during the coming season. Mr Robinson congratulated the Horo'whenua branch of the Beekeepers Association' in carrying -off on.e of the first prizes in honey at the Palmerston North winter show. The Levin honey, the speaker said, was of very good quality and to win in severe competition as there was at Palmerston, was a credit to the district.

The speaker next called attention to the fact that the registration of apiaries was now compulsory under the Apiaries Act, 1927. Even if the beekeeper possessed but one hive it was necessary to register it. There was no ¥ee for registration. The object oi registration was that the position oi the hives might be known and the disease controlled by the inspectors Odd unregistered hives in the past had done thousands' of, pounds worth "oi damage to the industry. The honey industry in New Zealand had now reached considerable proportions. The past season had produced almost a record crop,, of which upwards of 1200 tons were being exported, leaving over 2000 tons for consumption in the Dominion. Dealing with spring management, the lecturer mentioned points the bee keepers should observe now- amongst the. bees, the two chief of which were "that the insides of the hives were kept dry and that the bees had plenty oi food.' to carry them through till the honey flow started. . In...the event oi store's being -.short artificial 'feeding had to be resorted to. . Mr Robinson then showed his audience a number of appliances in use in the apiary, appliances that he would allude to* during the, course of the. evening. He stressed the point that beekeepers, when making their own hives, etc., should keep all to a standard size so that they were all interchangeable. * Various methods' of rearing queen bees were explained and illustrated by very comprehensive lantern pictures. The first method outlined was by ob taining queen cells "from a hive about to swarm. This, he said, was a doubtful method as queens raised by this means might have a tendency to swarm unnecessarily. Still, many good queens were raised that way.

The Alley method was by taking a frame of young eggs and brood, cutting it in strips and giving it to a a queenless. hive. t The Case method was by preparing a frame of brood by destroying rows of worker cells and leaving a number of cells with eggs or grubs in. This was laid flat over a queenless hive, and the bees drew out the left cells and produced good queen cells. The Miller method was by putting a prepared frame of young brood in a queenless hive. The Doolittle method was by using artificial cell cups, and grafting grubs in these cells. This method Avas perhaps the most favoured by commercial beekeepers requiring a number of young queens. The method of finding a queen in a hive of bees was explained, and also the various methods of introducing queen cells or young queens to colonies of bees. The speaker said 100 much importance could not be placed in selecting good queen cells for breeding from, as a normal queen during her life laid over 1,000,000 eggs which if placed end to end would make a line over 1$ miles long. The queen during the season often laid twice her own weight in eggs per day. Questions .on any branch of beekeeping were invited and answered. ,A vote of thanks was passed to the speaker for what had undoubtedly been the most instructive lecture on beekeeping given at Levin. Kegret was made that more had not availed themselves of the opportunity of learning more of the habits, and methods of dealing with these most interesting insects. The instructor mentioned he was always pleased- to receive questions relating to beekeepers' difficulties by mail. The size of his district (Wellington and Taranaki provinces) prevented his being in Levin as often as he would wish to; still much could be done by correspondence. His address was , "Department of Agriculture, Palme'rston North.* * %