116 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 Feb., 1917. 



somewhat difficult. All the species have one characteristic in common, 

 namely, that the flowers generally secrete uectar very freely, which, 

 when transformed into honey by the bees, is in colour about the darkest 

 Victorian honey, has a strong, rank flavour, and, as it sets like jelly 

 in the cells, it cannot be removed from the combs in the extractor. It 

 is quite unsuitable for marketing a^ table honey, although people living 

 in tea-tree country, and getting it out of their own hives, become used 

 to it, and even like it. One use to whicli this honey can be put is in 

 the manufacture of plug tobacco, for which purpose some quantity of 

 honey is used annually. When newly-gathered tea-tree honey is quite 

 thin, but as soon as it has reached a certain degree of density it sets 

 into a jelly-like condition, and the evaporation then ceases, so that it 

 always contains a higher percentage of water than others of our honeys. 

 After removal from the combs, which can only be done by pressing or 

 melting, it often partially candies with a very coarse grain. 



In the locating of a|piaries for the commercial production of honey 

 it is best to keep away from tea tree belts, but in seasons when other 

 sources fail bees can, with advantage, be moved on to tea-tree country. 

 Notwithstanding its unpleasant flavour and jelly-like texture the honey 

 is excellent bee food, and as the flower of the tea tree yields pollen, 

 as well as nectar, thus encouraging brood rearing, the colonies are 

 therefore always in good condition. 



The tea-tree flavour is in Australia often erroneously called 

 " eucalyptus flavour," while what in Great Britain is known as the 

 eucalyptus flavour of Australian honey is what we here so much appre- 

 ciate as the "box tree flavour." 



{To he continued.') 



THE CONTROL OF MAMMITIS. 



Bij M. Thomas, Dairy Supervisor. 



Cleanliness in dairy management is a far more directly important 

 matter to the dairyman than most of those following the business think. 



The number of owners of dairy herds who are as strictly attentive 

 to all sanitary detail as they should be is comparatively small. 



Officers of the Dairy Supervision Branch have been for years past 

 advising and instructing dairymen to cultivate higher standards of dairy 

 sanitation. Although most of the cow keepers respond to the efforts 

 of these officers in a greater or lesser degree, many of them appear unable 

 to maintain a highly satisfactory condition witliout fairly constant 

 supervision. 



Cleanliness to the degree sought by this Department is still erron- 

 eously considered by many dairymen as making unnecessary work, and 

 increasing the worries of a business already too well supplied witii 

 them. There is, however, nothing of the faddist in the supervisor, and 

 the advice is given for reasons that are most practical. 



