A BUSH BEE FARM.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1024, 16 October 1891, Page 25

A BUSH BEE FARM.

In Ireland the pig is generally spoken of as the'gintleman that pays the rint,' and even in this Colony the profits from the gintleman pig forms no inconsiderable item in the yearly receipts of the buah farmer ; but I have met with few farmers in my travels who were able to say that the whole of the rent of their farms was covered by the profits derived from beekeepiDg. ‘ Keep bees !’ ‘ Keep bees !’ ‘ Keep bees!’was the thrice repeated advice tendered many years ago by an all influential and wise Bishop of the Church of Rome to the flock under

his charge in one of the French agricultural districts. The idea suggested by the worthy prelate enabled many of the struggling peasant farmers to make both ends meet, in a manner to which many of them had long been strangers.- Here in New Zealand comparatively little attention is given to what should be, were attention more closely directed to it, one of the chief of the minor industries of the Colony. Passing along a country road a few days ago, however, I was struck with the somewhat unusual Bight afforded by nearly one hundred hives, and resolved to visit the owner for the purpose of getting from him the results, financial and otherwise, of his efforts in beekeeping..-. good -. mam'himself' ~ was not at home, but on learning the object of my visit, his wife was soon giving ine tbeinformation I sought. Dairy farming, beekeeping, and the business of general carrier, were combined by this industrious settler, and the most of the work incumbent on the two firstnamed industries, I learn, fall upon his wife and daughters. Seventy-five hives are at present in work—the stock originally was twenty—and the increase was the result of two years’ operations. The common black bee is the variety kept here, the Italians being considered no more profitable, and more vicious. The hives used are the ‘ Langstroth/ and all the work in connection with the manufacture of these is done by the farmer himself as opportunity and necessity permit. A eady sale is found, locally, for all the honey produced, at fivepence per pound, and the net profit is roughly Bet down at LI per hive for the honey, and ten shillings additional as the value of the increase in the stock by ‘ swarming/ Great care in keeping up the full strength of the hives is, I learn, necessary to achieve this result and weak hives are never allowed to

exist, after their condition has been ascertained. Ihe difficulty is overcome by amalgamating two or moro swarms, the extra queens beingeither withdrawn or destroyed. The rent of the farm is LIOO a year, and this amount is row paid wholly out of the profits derived from the bee-farming operations. Can the many country readers of the Mail not go and do likewise. I can vouch for the accuracy of the statements made and the figures quoted. Huia.