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Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 129, 25 February 1930, Page 9

Production records are still being broken at the Dobson mine, which is working two shifts, full time, states the “Grey Star.” Last year’s output was a record, but during four months of the current year (October, November, December, and January) the production total lias already exceeded by 14.000 tons the total for the corresponding period of the previous year.

Speaking at the field day of the Auckland branch of the National Beekeepers’ Association, Mr. Earp, chief apiarist, said that so far as he could gauge the crop throughout New Zealand would be only about one-third of what it was last season (reports the Auckland “Star”). The inclement weather conditions prevailing throughout the Dominion were responsible for the shrinkage. There had been a great fall in honey returns, but beekeepers in a few isolated instances would gather a very payable harvest. However, beekeepers generally were optimistic, and a noteworthy cheerfulness was apparent, notwithstanding the setbacks they had experienced. From reports received, and also from personal observation, said Mr. Earp, it was gratifying to note that bee disease, which in past years had been so troublesome, was now well under control. For the first time for some years beekeepers had had the satisfaction of opening up their hives in the spring months to find a total absence of disease.