THE APIARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3511, 28 June 1921, Page 7

THE APIARY.

By

J. A.

THE REGISTRATION FEE. During the past week we attended a fruitgrowers’ conference and had the opportunity of a conversation with Mr Kirk, the Director of Horticulture, particularly on the subject of the recent beekeepers’ conference. Before going further we must congratulate the beekeepers on securing Mr Kirk as president of the association for the incoming year. Mr Kirk is retiring from the Department of Agriculture at the end of this month, but we hope that his interest in both apiary and orchard will continue, and we feel sure that he will be able from His long and varied experience to give to both Industries much valuable counsel. With regard to the question we are at present dealing with, we were rather surprised and pleased to find that the conference had enthusiastically received the resolution with regard to the registration fee. One would not have, quire expected that result from the remits sent forward to conference nor from the very decided attack made on it in the journal. However, all is well that ends well, and now we hope that every beekeeper will take the trouble to understand the proposal and first help to get it into operation and when in operation to support it strongly. The scale of fee has been s'ightly altered. Up to five colonies it is one shilling per hive, with a minimum of 2s 6d. From six to 15 it is 10s, from 16 to 59 15s, and from 51 to 100 £l. with a further 10s for each 160 or part thereof. We believe that this will prove very satisfactory, and cannot be regarded as oppressive by anyone. A provision is made that one-fifth of the fees collected shall become the revenue of the National Association for organisation purposes, thus giving our “National” an income that- will greatly help the development of our industry. For some years we have been dependent on branch subscriptions and a grant of £IOO from the Government. The income from the registration fees will make the National more independent and better able to assist in branch organisation. The balance of the fees is to be our direct contribution towards salaries, and gives us the right which is always accorded to those who help themselves to ask for considerable support on the part of the Government to a vigorous campaign against foul brood and for assistance in various other ways. The fee is to remain in force until foul brood has been exterminated or has been brought thoroughly under control. It has been pointed out that there is a precedent for this method of work in the efforts that Were made to clean up scab on sheep many years ago. There are difficulties; we all know that. For instance, there are the bush bees, but as Mr Kirk remarked, there was also the bush sheep, wlreh in the end had to bo shot down. A few lines we Head in an article somewhere are applicable: There are thousands vko tell you it cannot be done; There are thousands who prophecy failure; There are thousands who count over one by one The dangers that wait to assail you. But just buckle in with a hit of a grin, Take off your coat and go to it; Just start with a sing to do the- thing that “cannot be done,” And you’ll do it. This registration fee will quicken the interest of our beekeepers in their own industry. They will never miss the amount, though in these times it is always inconvenient to pay anything. There can be no doubt that in the case of the orchard industry the imposition of an orchard tax and tlie creation of the federation has resulted in operations far beyond the importance of the lax itself, and so it will be with . beekeeping. The “National” will have a standing that it could not have while somewhat precariously upheld. The position will become more rent and will be in ihe end of tremendous advantage to our industry.