THe JOURNAL 



T^e department of 



OP 



VICTORIA 



NEW \OiiK 



BOTANICAL 



QAROEN. 



Vol. VIII. Part lO. 



10th October, 1910. 



THE POSITION OF APICULTURE AM0NG8T THE 

 RURAL INDUSTRIES.* 



R. Beuhne, President, Victorian Apiarists' Association. 



The position of bee culture in its relationship to other industries has 

 xmdergone several changes since bees were first introduced into Victoria. 

 It commenced as a side issue of other occupations, developed into a 

 separate calling but is now again gradually, to some extent, reverting to 

 the first position. 



Thirty to forty years ago bees in box hives were found on almost every 

 farm and bees' nests in trees were very plentiful. Bee-keeping was then 

 entirely a side issue. All that was necessary in keeping bees was to hive 

 swarms into any odd boxes and when these were full of honey to drum 

 the bees out into an empty box, cut out the combs, put them after crushing 

 into bags and hang these up to drain. The honey which at times con- 

 tained the juices of young bee larvae sold readily at from 20s. to 25s. per 

 kerosene tin. The drained comb remaining in the bags, as well as any 

 <lark comb containing but little honey, was often spread out on the grass 

 for the bees to clean up, with the idea of giving the robbed bees a fresh 

 start. This usually resulted in fighting amongst the bees and often the 

 stinging of man and beast in the neighbourhood, but as no (iiseases were 

 in existence then no other serious results followed. 



There were bee-keepers even then who had from 100 hives upwards. 

 These were usually placed on stands in long rows and the more hives there 

 were the closer they stood together. The aggregation of large numbers 

 permanently on one spot of stock of any kind often results in outbreaks 

 of disease, or at any rate the rapid spread of disease when accidentia 

 introduced; thus, when foul brood made its appearance amongst bees, it 

 spread rapidlv from hive to hive and from one apiary to another, the 

 chief medium' of dissemination being the honey containing disease germs. 



* Paper read at the Convention of the Vijtorian Chamber of Agriculture, held at Hallarat. 

 12974. V 



