THE APIARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3523, 20 September 1921, Page 14

THE APIARY.

By

J. A.

A POSSIBLE NEW MARKET FOR NEW ZEALAND HONEY. A few days ago we received a letter from an old Dunedin business friend, Mr A. Moritzson, who has been for some lime in Honolulu, in Hawaii, and is there the manager cf the import and export department of the Pan Pacific Traders’, Ltd. Tho Haw man Islands produce about 10CQ tons of honey, but as the most of it is dark it is of little use for local consumption, and is mostly shipped to the States. they have nothing comparable to our clover honey, and Mr Moritzson thinks, and we may say that lie knows our honey well, that there would be a fair demand for it in lib, 21b, and 51b tins, and also in pb and lib pats, to be shipped tho same as butter. He suggests that the paper wrapped pats should be sent in cool chamber, and says that although the Island climate is warm, 80 degrees in summer and 70 degrees in winter, tmere is plenty of cool stole space, and he feels sure that the extra price realised would pay for this handling. We have often wondered why some data lias not been colL cb. d to show the effect on honey of cool storage. With the aid of cool storage and reasonable care in distribution we think that pat honey might be sold anywhere, and that in warmer climates it would bo a. decided novelty. Air Moritzson also asks for comb honey to be sent in boxes of two dozen sections, either with or without glass front. Section _ honey is not. produced in the islands, and would probably make a good price. \\ e fear that the shipping ft'oni here would be the greatest difficulty. It is some trouble to get comb b-oney to any sea port by rail without damage. Not that this needs to be so, but simply intelligent handling is at a discount. It would indeed be strange if, with a production of 1000 tons of honey, these islands should still come to be a market for ours. It appears tital the principal source of nectar there is the algaroba trees, and as Air Moritzson says, the real New Zealand honey flavour is absent from the Hawaiian, produced honey, simply owing to the want ot suitable flowers. r lhe Pan Pacific Traders,’ Ltd., are willing to give our honey a welcome to Honolulu, and to give it a fair run on the market. In this connection there is, however, one fly in the ointment. Last season our apples got a welcome to Honolulu, but they were immediately stopped by a prohibitive tariff, and if we might judge by trie suggestion of our Californian neighbours, which we recorded last week, this would probably eventuate also in the case of honey. The 5 cents per jb which they propose as a tariff would in this case be quits effectual. In Nelson at time of writing the stone fluffs arc all in bloom, and ttlso the early pears. Vt e are having ideal weather for the bees, and consequently they are very busy. In common with other parts, of the Dominion we ie.tr a dry summer, and though that will not greatly affect the fruit trees, unless exceptionally dry, it will affect the supifly of water for spraying purposes, and that is serious. ft also m.tins that the clover will dry tip early, and will give the bees in this district a hungry midseason, in which supplies will be very short. We are counting the weeks now to the time we shall get back amongst the bees, and once more get into touch with Southland beekeepers. In tlie orchards heio the cultivation is well forward, and spraying has begun. For the next eight weeks we have to spray our 47 antes of orchard right through each fortnight; after that it can be eased off a 'nit, more especially if it is dry weather. Still, it will not do to exceed from three to four weeks the summer through, and during the season some eight to ten sprayings altogether will be put o.n. \\ edo not, however, think that with all this amount of spraying any injury is done to the bees. The first spray is at what is called the “green tip’’ stage, when the clustered flower bud is beginning to show. The .second one is when the flower buds show colour. This we call the “pink.” The third one is when the flower petals fall, and is known as the “calyx.” Liltle or no spraying is done to the open bloom, and then only with a weak solution of lime sulphur. The injurious spray for bees is the arsenate of lead, and this is not commonly used until the flower petals fall, sometimes not until a full month later than that.