BEEKEEPING.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 January 1918, Page 6

BEEKEEPING.

PROSPECTS FOR COMING SEASON. (By "Clematis,") The present prospects for beekeepers are fairly good. The weather has ''ecu on the whole favorable and in dairying districts clover has made great growth. Tilings point to a good crop being secured, and extracting should be well under way. Prices for this season are likely to 'be 'high. The British and Dominions have sold all first-grade honey afloat at 104s, and the New Zealand Cooperative Honey Producers' Association receives nine-pence per lb for first-grade honey when shipped, so the progressive, up-to-date commercial beekeeper who works jipon producing a first-class grade honey will reap his reward in his returns. THE SMALL MAN AND LOCAL MARKET. The small beekeeper whose aim is to put his output upon the local market should strike out to attain three'things, namely, flavor, condition and aroma, and with honey showing these a good article and a good pure food should be the result. See that tllie combs are well matured and capped before extracting. Strain well and skim surface before canning, giving hydrometer test of not less than 1.420. Honey below this test will soon ferment without being kept in air-tight vessels. ' EXHIBIT AT SHOWS, Mr. R. W. Brick ell says that we have been told the National Executive should prepare an exhibit of honey and send it around to our principal shows. He submits that an exhibit as suggested would have little or no advertising value. "R.W.8." s ays when prospective purchasers go to purchase Ihoney from a nearby store they would find it in an entirely different form to the display, if they find it at all. This is laboring the point. The object of the exhibit is in the first place to draw public attention to honey as a pure food, and in the second place to educate the general public as to what they should look for in the various grades of honey, in condition, flavor, aroma and color. The commercial and competitive exhibits at many of our shows have induced retailers nnd the oeneral public to have no other than certain brands exhibited at our shows. JUDGING AND GRADING HONEY. At the end of the year two of the four Government graders, Messrs Earp and Jacobson, were called up for active service. The latter is due in camp on April 2. I understand neither of these gentlemen is appealing, but that Mr. Kirk, of the Department of Agriculture, has been asked to appeal for extension of time, probably till the end of June, when the season's crop will be in store for grading. The Department should have been able to foresee this difficulty, and it's a wonder that some provision has not been made. CERTIFICATES OF COMPETENCY. At the .June' conference of beekeepers, a suggestion that the Department of Agriculture grant certificates to thoV. competent to act of 'honey for the New Zealand market was thrown out. A scheme was inaugurated by the British Beekeepers' Association by issuing certificates to those who by examination proved themselves competent to act as judges at honey shows. It does not follow that because a man is a, good beekeeper he must be a good judge of honey. Smell and taste and other senses have to be cultivated, and must be keenly developed if a person is to be a successful judge. The grading of honey and butter are similar, viz., flavor, "color, condition, grain, aroma, packing, etc., but honey cannot be compared with butter for the reason that butter is a manufactured product, and honey is absolutely and unalterably a purely natural one. Put honey_and butter side by side for grading, and see how unfair to the beekeepers Ihey show:— Butter—so flavor, controlled' by maker; honey, flavor controlled bv bees. Butter—lo color, controlled by maker; honey, color controlled 'by bees. Butter—2o condition, controlled by maker; honey, condition, man control partly.'' Butter—lo grain, controlled by maker; honey, grain, man control partly. Butter—s, aroma, controlled 'by maker ; honey, aroma, hees only. Butter—Packing, controlled by maker: honey, packing, man. So that with honey-grading rules a man is handicapped by circumstances beyond his control. THE WINTER SHOWS COMING. Beekeepers when amongst your bees pick out your best sections of half and full frames of comb honey. In extracting don't forget your best liquid honey. Now is the time to see it, and save enough to allow for liquid and granulation classes. Plenty of classes and good money, so prepare!