THE APIARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3662, 20 May 1924, Page 11

THE APIARY.

By

J. A.

The writer of these notes spent a very pleasant evening during this week with Mr R. T. \\ arry, a very enthusiastic beekeeper from New South Wales. Mr Warry was a bee instructor in N.S.W., and had previously worked for some years with Pender Bros., prominent as queen breeders and supply dealers. He has had to come to New Zealand for health reasons, and, having spent the summer amongst the apples m Nelson, he finds his health much improved. It was very interesting to discuss with Mr Warry New South Wales methods, and one in conversation with him realised his intense enthusiasm for bee culture. His present intention is to visit Southland with a view to spying out the land, and possibly following his bent in a cooler clime. YVe hope that southern beekeepers may bo able to secure his settlement amongst them, for I feel sure that from an apiary point of view ho would be an acquisition. END OF THE APPLE EXPORT SEASON. I sometimes crave the indulgence of my readers to talk about ether things than our little friends the bees. To-day when the Anchor Company’s boat the Koi steamed away from the Mapua wharf there was some speechifying and some cheering. It was the last load of our 1924 export, being gathered to Wellington to load the Runanga or the Otaki for London. From the beginning of February to May 11 this little district, known here as the Nelson Central district, has been going its very hardest to get away its apple crop, arid the result is about (I have not the exact figures) 80,000 caj/Gs —quite one-third of the whole Dominion's export. Probably another 70,000 cases have been packed in this same district for the local market, so that the total output must be in tho neighbourhood of 150,000 cases . Fourteen years ago this whole district was manuka and fern, and would not carry more than one sheep to three acres. It is quite safe to say that they required to be very lively sheep, too, in Order to find a living for themselves. To-day it is the scene of great activity, especially in the picking months: and though up to the present the orchardists have had as hungry a time of it as their predecessors the sheep had, still their hopes run high. There is a little joke told here by a Southland dominie, who is now an apple-grower. Tie was questioning his class as to the principal towns in the various provinces, and what were the leading industries in the provinces. One little chan said Nelson was the capital of tho province of Nelson, famous for its fruit and hopes. So it is. I have only seen one hop garden on the hills, however, so probably tbe boy was net far out. Anyway, the teacher thought him inspired, and told him he was quite right. There is no doubt that hopes have climbed many a pole in this district, but as yet the crop has been very meagre There is, however, a great future before this industry. It has been badly hit by the war years, but is gradually coming to its own, and is capable of enormous development, and we still hope that the men who have stuck to it and developed it so far will yet reap the reward of their toil and their patience. The BlufFs Company, in which the writer is interested, has just completed the packing of 28,000 eases. Thi3 is the product of about 250 acres of orchard, a portion of which is still young. This is only about 112 cases to the acre, where it should be, and eventually will be, 300 cases. A product of 112 cases per acre at Id ner lb (which is what orchardists generally hope to realise) means £lB per acre of return ; and that is just about sufficient, under good management, to cover the cultural cost of running an orchard. In Tasmania, according to men of experience, orchards should begin to pay at 10 years old. Probably they would given pre-war prices; but high freights and high cost of sprays and packing materials have made orcharding very costly, and certainly up to the present none of the orchards in our Central district has done very much for its owner. Orchardists are awaiting with much interest the returns from export. Two of the South American shipments have turned out badly, and that has in the meantime caused a good deal of misgiving. The first English boat also landed its fruit in wasty condition, so that there is need for some better word soon to restore confidence again. Apples, like honey, require much patience in the grower, as realisation is a slow process. Still, like beekeeping, it is fascinating, and though possibly but few orchardists, or beekeepers either, will ever become millionaires, still they have both of them a very good time.