The Honey Bee and its Management.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3529, 17 April 1880, Page 1

The Honey Bee and its Management.

A VISIT TO MB HOPKINS' APIABY.

( Communicated.)

Mr Hopkins has for several years experimented on the various methods of managing bees; these experiments wo have long been aware of, and have seen in., j his perseverance that he would one day j succeed to his heart's content, for he has left no stone unturned in order to gain all the knowledge he could concerning the busy bee—its instinct, its habits, and its culture. And now, having adopted the latest American methods, and having obtained all the American appliances for the successful prosecution of the business, we presume he. can hardly fail, ' and we heartily wish him God speed, while hit success, we are' certain, will stimulate many all over the colony to follow in hit footsteps. We lately bad an invitation to visit his new place at Parawai, and to examine his apiary, which is situated at the back of the Bob Roy Hotel. The situation struck ns, for various reasons, as soon as we saw it as most suitable for the enterprise, of the proprietor. Mr Hopkins at once proceeded to open up his whole method and process. This gentleman has very wisely, as we think, adopted the American method in all its branches. His hives are what are termed bar hives, which for simplicity of construction and convenience of manipulation it seems to us have no superiors. We wilr» first describe the hive "as to its outside appearance. It consists of a box about 20 inches long, 16 wide, and ten deep, substantially constructed, with double inclined roof, which serves as a cover or cap. This can be removed in an instant, thus exposing the whole inner arrangement, while at the same time it affords the keeper every facility to handle the . bars or frames within which the little insects skilfully build their cells from a square cake or sheet of the prepared wax which hangs suspended from the top bar of the frame. These hives are all painted white, and they are all constructed of the same size; thus, if required, fhey can be placed one upon another so as to form several stories. As for the bars or frames, - they are of two widths—for breeding combs, about one inoh; for store honey combs, about two inches. These are simply. dropped into the hive and hang upon ledges made to receive them, and so the hive is filled up with both widths of frames. To remove any one of these frames while the bees are working is the simplest thing imaginable, Mr Hopkins did this in our presence in broad daylight from a hive in full operation, yet the bees seemed as if they were quite used to the entrusions upou their privacy, and took but little notice of the. action, but kept on at their work as if nothing had happened, We conceive that bees are in this respect very much like men, and get used in time to much that is really contrary to their natural instinct as well as becoming acquainted with the people who manage them; But mark, whoever would enter into this business must never shew any; fear of the little creatures, for we are certain they can discern who fears them and who does not, and not being the subjects of fear themselves they appear to detest it in those who manage them accordingly. Yet it will not. answer for a manager of fcees to approach them as a bull would a post, he must approach them quietly and cautiously, and in all the manipulations of the new method, he must not be excited, but exercise great tact and patience, lest he kill some of the busy creatures for nothing perhaps, so annoys bees as the smell of.their slaughtered fellows, while their care for the queen exceeds the belief of all except those who well understand their instincts, but it may be witnessed by anyone who will examine a new swarm just emerged from a hive and settled on some bush; she will always be found surrounded by her protectors in the centre of the bunch. By the above method of management every bar or frame in the hive can be removed and examined, and as all the frames are made exactly of the same measurement, and will fit any hive, so, weak hives can at any time when necessary, be supplied with breeding combs from strong ones. This process also altogether does away with the fear of losing a hive that is deficient of food in the winter which often happens under other methods of manage* . ment, for it can be fed from a hive that has plenty, while if an enemy should have ensconced itself in any part of the interior it can be immediately removed, and so the hives can be kept clean from all such intruders. By this, method also frsmes holding from one to three or four pounds of honey in the comb can be produced fit for exportation to any part oV t the world. This struck us as the ne plus ultra or perfection of the system, seeing that so many consumers of honey prefer to purchase it in this condition. Mr H. showed us a large strong hive, the inmates of which were manufacturing these handy little packages, one of which may be seen at the office of the Stab. We now pass on from the hive and its bars to a machine termed extractor. This machine is not the least important part of the system, for every one knows, that has bad anything to do with bees, the trouble there is in obtaining the honey clear and pure from the comb, and fit for commerce. This machine,, however, does it in next to no time, and as if by magic, it consists of & well-shaped cylinder about 21 feet deep, and one foot in diameter, made of metal, within whioh is a movable'apparatus on which to hang the full bars or frames. Two or three of tbese arc inserted, and then the apparatus is rapidly turned round by means of a small handle, when the whole contents of the combs are violently thrown out, and the honey finds its way to the bottom of the cylinder, where it is. , drawn off by means of a tap. By this process the combs are left as perfect as

when first constructed, and are returned to the hive for the bees again to fill them—

which they do with pleasure. The saving of bee labor and of manual labor through the ingenuity of bur American Cousins is thus remarkably apparent by the action of the extractor, and yet the process is so -simple that an intelligent child can manage the whole business. Mr Hopkins .deserves well of our fellow colonists for the introduction of this simple and yet effectual American system amongst them. There is nothing of selfishness about our

friend, he is willing to instruct anyone who will pay him a visit in the whole process. His chief object seems to be to make New Zealand, which is far behind the rest of the world in this interesting and lucrative business, a great honey producing country, knowing well that he who sows for the benefit of bis^ fellows in general will be sure to reap a rich harvest for himself, and we add, he well deserves it. Would that the rulers of New Zealand, from tbe foundation of the colony had been of the same unselfish character! Had they have been so, the colony might by this time have been second to none in the British Empire, but, unfortunately, it has been the reverse. They have, as a rule, sought first to fill their own pockets and the pockets of their friends with all the best of the prizes, and have left the small ones and the blanks to be scrambled for by the general population, that they -may .do as best they can with them. The resources of New Zealand are great v and numerous, but we require an unselfish and liberal government that will encourage in every legitimate way the development of these resources, and if this is not speedily forthcoming, the •whole Colony must soon get into a terrible mess.

Note : Au error occurred in the first part of this article. It is Dr Irving, not Dr Lee that is taking so much interest in Bee Culture at Christchuxch. (To he continued.)