HUMBLE BEES FOR WAIKATO.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2531, 29 September 1888, Page 2

HUMBLE BEES FOR WAIKATO.

I.v last issue we mentioned that stuns had been taken t<i introduce this humble bee into Waikato. JJy yesterday's nnil the parcel coiitainiuf,' till! b< os arrived, but, ur.fnrtunatuly, only one out of sixteen was found alive. Mr'W. D.\y, a skilled apiarist, was present at the unpacking, and (,'avc it as his opinion that tlio bees had h'eu smothered from want of snmeic-nt vunlih.tion. This is much to be regretted, as, with the present bright warm weather, had the.-o fertilised quiieus been alive, it would have Sivon a Rood starl to their intro<bi::ti <n into YY'aikat''. The bees were sent to a j,-en;lonian in Hamilton by the oecretary of the Canterbury Acclimatisation S-icie ty, an.l in the liitteraccompanintfUiuni, the writer -.n e full instructions how to proceed as tu the liveriitinu of the he-.-., and promised that whan the. proper seii.son arrives he will forward a further supply of nests. >Ir 1);..y is of opinion that this plan will in all probability be more successful, and that h.iii the line wire caKe.s commonly used f.-r the. transport, queen bees hern u.-ert in the present e.oo in plnec of packing the insects in m<>;s, they would in all probability have arrived alive. As our ieiders are aware, the object of acclimatisins thi-i insect is to fertilise the r. d clover blossom, Ihe humble bee beinff provided with a much trunk for extractins,' honey, the depth of the clover blossom bein<; too },'reut for the ordinary bee to reach, and in doincf which the fertilising of the blossom is effected.