BEE CULTURE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13288, 20 May 1905, Page 3

BEE CULTURE.

INTERVIEW WITH GOVERNMENT APIARIST. • Mr Ise.lo Hcpkiiis, tho newly-appointed apiarist to the Agrieidtural Department, lids returned to Wellington (says the New Zealand Tiruos) from his first tour of portion of tho North Island. His inspection included generally th? districts along the railway line freni New Plymouth and Napier respectively to Woodville, Mr Hopkins found that hoe culture is carried 011 on a fairly large sealefbut there is eom'e considerable backwardness in method, which ho hopes to be able to overcome in the course of a few seasons. In the Bav.'ke's Bay district from Hastings to Woodville the industry was found to reach its highest standard. Wherever hees are kept Mr Hopkins ppid a visit, and this, of course, led ,him often into tho backbloeks. Tho _ largest bee-keeper ho has visited so far is Mr William Lenz, of Kuripuni, Mas tort-oil, who has SOO hives, and whose output" this season will probably amount to 20 tons of honey. " Mr Lena's establishment is on a most comprehensive acalo. The bees are distributed over eight apiaries, and in connection with tliei farm there is a factory for the manufacture of tho Soxes. The whole output of the farm has been disposed of without difficulty. Tlicro are several apiaries of 250 hives in tho district*, that have already been visited. Mr Hops Sis Ends that since tho department has taken bee culture in hand there is an increasing desire 011 the part of beekeepers to learn all they can about the business, As a first step a bulletin has been prepared, which will be No. 5 of the department's publications. It will deal with tho subject wider five heads, as follow.—The use of oomb foundation; (2) ripening extracted I'one.y; (3) foiil brood; (4) tho bco moth; (5) bee culture in relation to agriculture. The.bulletin is expeoted to bo ready for publication in a week or so.

It will take probably three seasons to bring the bee industry to anything like its proper dimensions. Then tlicro will be a great incieaso in the output. The amount of honey required for the New Zealand market is something liko 600 tons a year; but there is an unlimited outside demand. There are canning faotcrics in Wellington that aro putting up a great quantity in 21b tins, and this is absorbing a very large pio-

•\jut ~ » __ * - portion of tlie 1 IccsllyVraissd honey. "Wo raise tlnffinest ' honey in, llio world," says Mr Hopkiws, •" end it' brings tho highest price on' the European market, Somo honey lias, Ixjen exported,' but tho local demand has increased 'greatly'.since tho price of butter h'as'jjone up,'and it will be possible for soiho time to comeUo absorb all tho outptit locally. •