THE APIARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3854, 24 January 1928, Page 11

THE APIARY.

By

J. A.

MR RENTOUL’S REPORT.

During the week a copy of Mr Rentoul’s report, sent out by the Honej- Control Board, has been received. Mr Rentoul, Chairman of the board, visited Europe last year to inquire into the position of our export markets. He summarises his programme thus: “ 1. To get better acquainted with our agency arrangements, to get better knowledge of marketing conditions, and to inquire into the general distribution of our honey.

“ 2. To ascertain if any change could be made in our system of marketing that would be to our advantage.

“ 3. To see how far our sales could be further extended and our markets increased.

“ 4. To go into our export costs with a view of having these reduced. “5. To consider the matter of advertising.” As all honey exporters will have received a copy of the report, there is no object in traversing it here. It is sufficient to say that, taken on the whole, the report is very satisfactory. The agency arrangements are being copied both by Canada and Australia, and the system of distributing through one packing house has placed our honey in the premier position so far as imports into Britain are concerned. Mr Rentoul remarks that the prices received for a large portion of the honey from other countries would be useless to New Zealand producers. The distribution of our Imperial Bee brand is being made to all the northern countries of Europe, and direct export to Germany is being considered. _ The report seems to base our success in the European markets largely on the fact that we are packing a uniform article, and shows the great advantage we have in our grading system, and also in the blending done in the packing houses. The only prospect of increasing returns to the New Zealand producer seems to lie in reducing costs of packing and transit, and this the report goes into exhaustively, with the expectation that arrangements can be made that will benefit us to'the extent of Ad per lb. , Mr Rentoul ends his report by saying: ‘My visit Home has convinced me that no organisation selling produce in the Home Country can afford to keep out of touch with their markets. I consider it essential that someone visits the field of our markets at least everv two or three years. Either this or * that the industry have a representative in Britain. The latter would be more expensive, and would not keep the two sides so closely in touch as an occasional visit from this end.” SOUTHLAND FIELD DAY. This function has been fixed for February 8 at the apiary of Mr Kubalas, at Mataura. All interested have been cordially invited, and it is hoped that both a profitable and pleasant reunion will take place. Mr Rentoul is expected, and he will be able to answer any questions arising out of his report or with regard to the present position of our export markets. No doubt the department officers (Mr Earp and Mr Rhodes) will also be present. Now that Southland has brought the foul-brood menace well under control, and is realising the immense. advantage of clean apiaries, a fresh interest will be created in the possibilities of bee culture. The industry is having a protracted childhood, and it is high time that it had begun to grow up. As an extra inducement to consider it, we all hope that the cycle of wet years foretold by the late Mr Wragge have fully spent themselves, and that we are on the borders of something very much better. THE WEEK. The week ending January 14 has given us much better apiary weather. With the exception of one day, honey has come in steadily all the week, giving a total on the scale hive of 411 b for the seven days, the reading being 0,5, 1, 13, 6,2, and 14 pounds per day respectively. During the week a fourth super was put on about 30 colonies, while one or two have received one more, making them five-storey colonies. Another 20 colonies are carrying between 100 half-supers for food chambers for next spring. The latter will be stored in the honey house. As eggs laid now will produce bees too late for the honey harvest, the break caused by requeening will not affect to any extent the season’s crop. For that reason this is our favourite time for xequeenin fr It is risky to leave the fertilisation of young queens too late in the season in Southland, and therefore where ripe cells are being used it cannot be too soon now. Where the queens are fertilised from nuclei and only laying queens are introduced this does not apply. Most beekeepers find that the cross between black and Italian should not be allowed to go on too long. It is better to requeen with pure queens and eliminate the crosses as far as possible.