THE APIARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3804, 8 February 1927, Page 11

THE APIARY.

By

J. A.

SOUTHLAND BRANCH FIELD DaY. This event took place at Mr Larsen’s apiary on January 26 in glorious weather, and was attended by from 70 to 80 beekeepers. As many of the visitors came long distances, the function started with a light lunch sferved on the lawn. — H.P.A. and Control Board Work. —■ Mr Gibb, as president of the branch, took charge of the meeting, and as member of the Control Board and director of the Honey Producers’ Association proceeded to give a full account of the honey export position. It was very gratifying to hear from him that the huge debt, some £lB,OOO, incurred through the war slump, was being rapidly reduced, and was now down to £BOOO. The effect of this debt has been crippling to the industry, as it has meant a tax of about Id per lb on our export, and this must continue till the debt is cleared. In discussing the matter the beekeepers felt that; while those engaged in the industry had reason to be proud of the way in which the debt was being faced, they could not shut their eyes to the effect it was having in retarding its development; and, in view of the fact that in the Hon. Mr Hawken the minor industries have a very sympathetic Minister, and also that other industries have and are receiving very substantial aid, it was only fair that this industry should participate to the extent of a grant in aid towards the clearing of this debt. With regard to the local market, Mr Gibb remarked that the operations of the H.P.A. had resulted in a profit, and that while liberty was given to all shareholders to operate in the market, it was suggested that it should be on a basis of 6d per lb in the tank. One of the greatest drawbacks to the industry is the cutting of prices by those who, having only a small quantity of an inferior article, take almost any price to get rid of it. — Departmental Work.—

Mr Earp, the Chief Apiarist, dealt very fully with this subject, and sought tire aid of beekeepers towards the amending of the Apiaries Act in order to meet the necessities of the progress of the industry. During recent years a very determined effort has been made in some districts to cope with the disease of foulbrood by a system of local inspection. Southland has been one of these districts, and good work has been done, but one drawback has been that bees having disease might be shifted into a cleaned district unknown to the department, and one amendment is to allow this only on the production of a certificate of freedom from disease. The meeting passed a resolution favourable to the amending of the Act, and also asking that the local inspection system be continued, as it felt that otherwise the disease would soon reassert itself, and the value of the work already accomplished be lost. — Value of the Food Chamber.—

Mr Allan addressed the meeting particularly on the subject of building up the apiary in the spring, pointing out that though a comparatively light supply of stores- would carry the bees through the winter, in the spring more than merely enough to exist was required. There must be sufficient to enable the bees to breed up rapidly—that in fact the beehive in the spring became a little factory for turning honey into bees, in order that later there might be as large an army as possible to gather in the nectar and store it as ripened honey. The statement was made that the more thoroughly this was done, the more honey that was consumed in this way, the greater Wuuld be the net' return to the beekeeper in honey at the end of the season. This warning, however, was given: there must be no slackening of effort which would allow any shortage before the honey-flow came on. To breed up to full colonies and then allow a check would be fatal.

— Introducing Queens. — This subject was taken up by Mr R. Stewart, of Crookston, who introduced six queens into colonies from which the old queens had been taken some days previously. Mr Stewart went through each of the- six colonies to remove any queen cells started since the removal of the old queens. He then by various methods introduced the new queens. One was just run in by what is known as the smoke method, the bees being thoroughly disorganised by smoke from the entrance, and then having the entrance closed. One queen was dipped into a honey bath and then placed on the comb r...ongst the bees, reconciliation being effected in the process of licking off the honey. - Another was simply run in, apparently trusting to the good sense of the bees to accept a queen mother so freely given. Still another, along with the bees that were to receive her, was treated to a peppering with flour. None of these processes received any marked commendation from Mr Stewart, who, in carrying them out, was acting on the wish of Mr Larsen, the owner. Other t i colonies received their new queen bv the recognised method of inserting the cage containing the queen in a comb, and allowing the bees to make her acquaintance while finding their way into the cage. This, with strict attention to the directions supplied with each queen, is the method whch ,Mr Stewart recommends. Mr Rhodes, the instructor for the southern district, was listened to very attentively in an address covering tlie technical side of beekeeping, as was also Mr Stewart Sims, of Heriot, in a subject of - deep interest to beekeepers—that' of top-dressing of pastures. Mr Sims was very convincing in what lie had to say, and if farmers generally will adopt (as we are assured they are already doing) this method of farm improvement it will help beekeeping very much. THE WEEK. This has proved the best , week of the season so far. The scale record was 0, 11, 0,7, 1,5, 6 pounds, giving a total of 301 b for the week. In the round of the apiary during. this—week in all the strongest colonies it was found that the brood was still very largely in the second storey, and extended in the centre combs *to the bottom • chamber. Occasion was taken to see that the queen was below,

and an excluder put on to keep her there. From now on for this season the queen will be confined to the bottom chamber, thus permitting all the combs above the excluder, as the bees hatch out, to go to the extractor. At date of writing (January 31) the clover is still at its best, and as there is plenty of moisture it is. safe to say that it will continue so until the first cold snap comes.