Bee-Culture.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVI, Issue 43081, 13 April 1907, Page 3

Bee-Culture.

BULLETIN BY MR HOPKINS.

A concise bulletin written by Mr Isaac Hopkins, Government Apiarian, and issued by the Department of Agriculture, gives an amount of useful advice for those who contemplate commencing bee-culture as a business. Mr Hopkins says that to become a successful bee-keeper, one must be from the outsat, an enthusiast. The welter conteuds that one cannot keep bees without being stung occasionally, although,, says Mr Hopkins, “lam sometimes told about individuals (I never came in per sonal contact with them) who can do anything with bees without being protected in any way, and never get stung. I have to listen, but never contradict a person who tells me this—it sets me thinking, though.” After stating that the work of tending' bees is eminently suitable for a healthy young woman, wh© could manage an apiary of 100 hives with a little assistance in the busy season, Mr Hopkins states that from a well-con - ducted apiary in an average good district, the net profits per colony (hive) of bees should reach from 17s to £1 per sinnum through a number of successive seasons, and he considers this estimate well within the mark.

It is not, however, recommended that the bee-keeper should commence by relying on the apiary alone as a source of income, but that some other line of business should also be followed, fruit farming Or poultry farming being recommended as working well with bee-keep-ing. If it is later on considered that more profit can be made by following bee-farming alone, then the change can ’ e made. “lam frequently asked about dairying and bee-farming,” says Mr Hopkins, “ I cannot recommend this combination unless the dairying is on a very small pcale, indeed, for I think the wearing life of a dairyman is against his being able to pay close attention to anything else.” Bee-keepers are strongly urged to keep abreast of the t’mes by reading the excellent literature which is constantly being issued on the subject. . The bulletin says that the best time for a beginner to start is in spring or car'y summer r' he should never commence in the autumn except under the guidance of a practical man. The outlay in the first instance should not exceed say, £7, and this amount should furnish an ample outfit of bees and hives (4) for any bee-inner. Common bees are advised for the beginner to start with, as being the least expensive, the apiary being afterwards Italianised by purchasing queens only. A couple of early swarms weighing olbs each would be required, and as each pound of bees contains about 5,000 bees, the Iwo swarms would contain 10,000. The beginner is also recom* mended to raise comb honey in lib sections as no extractor is then necessary.

The choice of a locality is an important point and generally speaking, country where much successive cropping is carried on is useless for bee farming, so that one cannot do better than fix upon some dairying district. Districts in which clover is prevalent produce the best honey, and the Thames Valley is mentioned as being a suitable dis trict, whilst Taranaki, owing to. the boisterious weather and salt-bearing winds is not recommended. Slightly undulating country forms a better site for a bee-farm than flat open country, but shelter should consist of fencing nr hedges on the windy sides: high trees near an apiary are a nuisance as swarms are likely to settle on them far up out of reach. A good-sized apiary and honey** extracting building and store can lie formed th half «oie>. out, mi acre is recommended if available, to give roan; for extension of operations. Water must be provided either hy a stream or in troughs. Mr Hopkins then goes on to describe the erection of a honey house in detail all necessary dimensions for construction being given, whilst illustrations show the correct method of handling frame honey when emptying a hive. A chapter on “ Bees in relation to flowers and fruit-culture ” shows the important part played by bees in the crossfertilisation of fruit blossoms It is also stated that “It was believed at one time in America that bees punctured and destroyed grapes and other delicate fruits, and, notwithstanding that the results of exhaustive experiments conclusively proved the contrary, it took a l®ng time to convince them they were wrong.” In conclusion, it is pointed out that in New Zealand we have not the number of fertilising insects there are in Europe of America, consequently we are more dependent on the hive-bees than are orebardists in those quarters of the globe. Mr Hopkins believes that there are practically no other infiects but the hive- bee about in New Zealand when fruit-trees are in blcssom.