BEEKEEPING.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144713, 23 June 1915, Page 5

BEEKEEPING.

(By “Tainui.”)

June is a month of rest both for the bees and the master,, always provided that the master has attended to the hives, taking care that they are quite dry. A great deal of the mortality of iriveK is due to damp. Once the combs get damp thpy soon mildew. After that they rot and the bees will not touch them again. So keep your hives dry.

Our. visitor at the Winter Show, Mr.. C. J. Clayton, holds that it is necessary to keep the bottom board dry, else the dirt and hits of comb ciing together and the heos are unable to cany it out. It then becomes a very fine breedingground for the bee moth. As tie is a master of over 300 hives and TThs had many years’ experience, his opinion, is worth noting.

It is to he hoped that many of our small beekeepers visited the show for the purpose of studying their hobby. The above-named gentleman is a very successful < exhibitor, holding several gold and silver medals for honey exhibitions in Canterbury. He is very flattering to oiii' exhibitions, stating that our method of putting up the exhibits, botli of extracted and comb honey, is much neuter than that of any other place where he has exhibited, while he also pays a high tribute to the quality and quantity of the entries. He fully bears out my contention that colour is our weak point. This is. I think, easily accounted for, namely, the quantity of native flora which our bees get at, the honey of which is of dark colour, and unfortunately some of it is very pungent. The writer often lias to use sections which have been filled when some of the pittospnnuns or mataoos are in bloom for mead or vinegar Because of the extremely pungent flavour. Very few people will use it. Certainly the liking for it is an acouired taste. The committee of tne A. and P. Association are to >be congratulated on the conditions sot down for the commercial exhibits. The day has gone by for bee people being able to sell 14oz. of honey as lib.; that is one of the reasons why honey is not as popular a food as others where they get 16oz. to the pound.