RED CLOVER GROWING

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12181, 4 July 1925, Page 20

RED CLOVER GROWING

DEFICIENCY OF FERTILITY SHORTAGE OF HUMBLE BEES. That the area of red clover which can be grown in New Zealand for seed is subject to definite arbitrary limitations was the statement made to a “Times” reporter by Mr E. A. Earp, chief apiary instructor, yesterday. This difficulty arises from the fact that tho polinisation of red clover is carried on entirely by means of the “humble bee,” and the rate of increase amongst these bees is not such as to keep pace with the increasing areas of clover which are being put down in certain districts. Complaints have reached his department, Mr Earp explained, from farmers, particularly in the Ashburton and to a lesser degree in the South Canterbury districts, of a noticeable deficiency of fertility in the locallygrown clover crops. To a certain extent, also, lucerne crops in Marlborough have also suffered from the same cause, mainly in this district owing to the heavy floods of last year having tilled off large numbers of bees, which nfake their nests in the ground. The depredations of mice are mainly responsible for keeping them in check under ordinary circumstances. So acute has the position become in the South Island that application has been made to the Horticultural Department, vhich controls the apiary division, to

supply consignments of humble bees to augment existing stocks. The department, however, are unable to do more than forward a few queens, as tho humble bee does not hive as does the ordinary variety, hut forms nests Tn the ground, where 120 ta 200 bees congregate during the snmmer months. With the exception of the queen, the whole of these, workers and drones, die in the winter time, thp queen starting in the spring to lay eggs and build up a fresh colony, incidentally producing a certain number of new queens. There was little hope, he explained, of the bees so increasing with t/ie provision of increased food supplies as to keep pace with increasing crop areas, so that the only thing possible was to so limit the acreage sown to secure results.