Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price 1d. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27 1886. Concerning Bee Farming.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1894, 27 October 1886, Page 2

Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price Id. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27 1886. Concerning Bee Farming.

We have for some time believed that New Zealand will be a large honey producing country, and have on more than one occasion impressed upon the settlers of the Wairarapa the necessity of making themselves acquainted with the latest methods of bee culture. Scientific bee keeping was introduced into the colony about seven years ago, and has made great strides, notwithstanding the slowness of farmers and others to give up the old system of keeping these busy workers in boxes and then destroying them by suffocation when the honey was to be taken. Under this old system theie never was any progress, but of late years the increased knowledge of the habits and management of bees, together with the many useful appliances brought into use, have been the means of placing honey in a leading position amongst rural pursuits. In America thousands of persons find employment through this industry, and the export amount to millions of dollars, and we hope to see the time when this colony will be a large exporter of honey also. We are glad to see that the Greytown Horticultural Society has offered special prizes for apariau exhibits, and from what we can learn there will be keen competition. This will give an impetus to the industry, and will also enable those who have little idea of the scientific plan of keeping bees to judge for themselves of its advantages over the old box system—a system which has prevented many from having anything to do with bees, while others have kept them merely to get a supply of honey sufficient for household use. When we consider the mildness of our climate, the variety and excellence of our native flora as a beef pasturage, and the value of honey as an export, we long to see this kind of farming carried out on a large scale. Not a little has been done during the last three years in the Wairarapa with the Langstroth hive, and those who have commenced keeping bees under this system have, without exception, testified to its advantages. Artificial comb foundation has also b,en manufactured and used, an invention which saves the bees a deal of time bor. A few years ago the man who would.' i "n suggested 1 i wax should bo placed ' et. ready ior the bees to build their dii have b f m laughed at, but it is no , a i tter ridicule - 1 laughter The oar frames are dropped into M )e new-fash: eu hives, with a sheet of wax in each ; the: s rre bored out and built up into cells by the bees, the 1. mey deposited m I’lem and capped. At the close of tne star. fho frames are lifted out, the bees - I 'rushed off back into the hive, and the ..amee placed in the hone., extractor, a simple ma '.ine, which by a rotary motion, throws out the wax from the cells without damaging the comb. The comb is then put back into the hives, and the bees begin their work of filling over again. It must strike the most superficial mind that a process which not only saves the bees from death, but lessens their labor, renders the comb fit lor nee again, and dispenses with a vast amount of mess and waste, is far and away better than the old cruel system, and we hope the apariau exhibits at the forthcoming show will be the means of leading many persons to adopt the new plan.