BEES.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 84, 10 January 1885, Page 2

BEES.

The culture of beea is at once one of the most interesting an 1 most profitable branches of rural economy, provided that it is carried on in, a systematic manner. In bygone years, prior to th<> invention of movable comb hives, artih'oil comb, honey extractors (whereby the same comb can be replaced and used ovei again, saving the bees an immensity of labour) and other modern appliances, the. cruel and unsatisfactory method of obtaining the honey at th* close of the season was by killing the bees by suffocation. Nor can it be wondered at that it was so, seeing that the old box or plaitel straw hive, afforded the beekeeper no opportunity of examining his little subjects, or rendering them any aid, if in need of such. Nothing short of a thorough acquaintance with the internal arrangements of the hive and its occupants wiM secure the knowledge essential to really successful management. It is now a days nothing very unusual to obtain l.OOlbs of honey , from a single' hive, in a season, whilst 15lb to 35lbs would have been considered very good under bid taanagemenfc, by which bees, comb, and everything else were absolutely destroyed in obtaining the honey. It is uof our intention at this time to dilate on the many advantages of systematic bee culture, or the profitable Lraneh of industry it opens rh tiV country settler, although we do wonder that considering how small an outlay is nei-es

sary for a hive,, or seveial hives of bees, J to make n s<-ar< with, that they Jo nols, receive mow general attention. StiTT'j there is no doubt the culture, of these exceedingly useful a<id industrious little crc.'itiircj, is spreading in this district. A.t Shaftesbury we observed lately some 4-0 colonies (more or less), tlio pnperty of Mr E. Y Cox, whilst but a little distance off another lot, about an equal number were to be seen, these latter, we believe., belonging to Mr Faulden We could menti «n otiiers'who are giving C( nsiderablc attention to the subject on a smaller "scale in the neighbourhood, but what we wonder at is that nearly every resident in si country district like this lias i'Ot half a dozen hives, thereby J securing an ample supply of hone) of -absolute -purity, at a nominal 1 cost, and i deriving both pleasure and instruction from a careful observation' of the habits jof these industrious creatures. We might mention for the information of any who may he thinking of st-irliug bee-keeping, that a pleasant ride <>f some 10 miles to Rotoluihn Gorge (Paeroa) will bring them to Mr tf heeiian's firm and apiary. Mr Jrfheehan is an ol I ban t at the l>u-;iness, an 1 thoroughly understands the peculiarities of bee life, and half an hour in his company and amongst iiis bees, will afford an opportunity of acquiring muiM v.ibaile an 1 ]>raclical knowledge. Mr Sheehan's apiary nii'i'ibers about. 00 colonies, and we may add that he makes all his own appliance" on the spot, and those in need of artifical comb foundation cm heiQ oh'aiu it at the very moderate price oi" 3* per ll>, or the pure honey itself, either in or out of the combf at G I per lh.