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BEEKEEPING.

(By "Clematis"). I have been asked by a person keeping 'i few hives why his bees are dying. They may have foul-brood, they may bo queenless, or they may have been that weak that the wax moth may have attacked the combs. REGULATION'S RE SALE OF HONEY.

As the new season's honey is now being put on the market, I would draw the attention of the packers and retailers of this product to the regulations \iuder the Sale of Foods and Drugs Act, governing the labelling of honey foi sale. The Act requires that all packages of honey for retail sale must bear a label stating the nett weight of such package, and the name and address of the manufacturer or packer of the goods, or the seller thereof. As I see a considerable amount of honey is retailed by storekeepers without any label, 1 give this for what it is worth. TOE MARKETING OF HONEY.

llency is not used as a food as it should be. How often does one see it on the family table, or on the table of hotels, steamers, or the railway refresh, went cars? I have always advocated that the beekeepers are to blame, as many seem content to dispose of their honey in bulk, many small producers disposing of theirs in ordinary kerosene tins. This hulk honey is sold to the storekeeper, and in many cases bottled by persons without proper methods or appliances, and passed on to the con-, sunier as first-grade honey. If we beekeepers want to encourage the local consumption of this excellent product, wo must be prepared to put it on the, market in various packages to suit local' requirements, direct from the packing house. The packages should bear an [ attractive label, and in the case of 21b j tins the label should reach right round the tin, and the top of the tin be lacquered. In using '7lb and 101b tins, lacquer the whole of the tin, and put on a small label, as -with bottles. I have seen exposed for sale honey that does not granulate in a certain period of time. Such honey was not ripe, or contained an excess of moisture when bottled, or it has been over-heated —in the latter ease the flavor and aroma is spoiled. I would impress upon those i with no great experience that honey should, after being extracted, be put through a double strainer, one coarse and the other line, and remain in a shallow vessel, stirring occasionally till it starts to thicken before being run off into commercial packages. During the last season I have made various hydomctric tests, and I have come to the conclusion that samples R'iving a test of from 1.415 to 1.420 will be ripe and fit for market, while those giving up to 1.435, which granulates very firm and dry, would, no doubt, keep indefinitely.

BOX HIVES. I have been asked my opinion as regards the old box hives by various apiarists. That a large number of such hives are still in existence there is little doubt; that disease is spread broadcast from these hives is beyond doubt. I have little doubt but that this subject will be more fully dealt with at the animal conference of=-beekeepers at Wellington in June. I would not like to bo caught by the inspector, would you? Box hives are illegal, and those keeping them are liable to prosecution. FOUL-BROOD. This is one of the worst enemies one lias to contend with, and until the old box hives are entirely, swept out of existence the disease will be hard t<\ keep free from in an apiary. Those keeping bees in these box hives know practically nothing of this particular disease. Should a hive die out, it is put down to the season or some unknown reason, and there the matter ends. An apiarist ia in the vicinity; his bees find out one of these infected hives and get away with some of the store, with the result that infection is carried from Eiie hive to another.

SYMPTOMS OF FOUL-BROOD. Healthy brood in its larva stage, before it is sealed or capped, presents a clear-white appearance, but when attacked about the time of capping, changes to a light buff, then to brown. When the brood is capped one is better able to detect the disease. A capped toll here and there appears different from the surrounding healthy brood. Instead of the cuppings being full, bright and ol convex form as in healthy brood, they are of a dull browninsh color and sunken, an indication that the cells contain dead pupae. On opening such cells a thin glue-like or coffee-colored mass will bo noticed, which, on the insertion of a straw or splinter of wood, adheres to the point, and can he drawn some little distance out of the cell. Later this glue-like substance dries up into a black scale-like body in the bottom of the cell. Another symptom is pin-holes in the cuppings of the cells. If the disease has a good hold, the cheapest and best way is to destroy by lire bees, box and all during the evening when the bees are quiet. The first loss is the best.

if the hives affected arc strong with bees I would remove tlie combs containing the diseased brood and bum, and mark the hive for treatment next season, but care must be taken that tliey have sufficient stores to last through the winter, as if weak, strong, healthy hives are liable to rob them and carry the disease to healthy colonies. Don't give such hives too wide an entrance, enabling them better to protect themselves against robbers. When several hives are affected, a good plan is to unite them and make into strong colonies. 'After they settle down so that all the bees can be put into the lower box, tile combs can he melted into wax, or burned; the boxes, if not valuable, had better be burned, otherwise they should be thoroughly scraped of all propolis, etc. and thoroughly disinfected with" a strong solution of carbolic acid or lysol. WINTER SHOW. The New Plymouth show in June provides classes for section and comb honey, honey in lib and 2!b clear glass bottles, large; confectionery bottles, and beeswax, besides being a good advertisement for the 'progressive apiarist. Consider what your entry will be!

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19150503.2.8

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 278, 3 May 1915, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,066

BEEKEEPING. Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 278, 3 May 1915, Page 2

BEEKEEPING. Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 278, 3 May 1915, Page 2

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