GI,EANTNGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Annual conference of the Victorian Apiarists' Association held at the Town Hall, Stowell. 



A GLIMPSE OF A VICTORIAN APIARISTS' CONFERENCE 



BY E. B. MACPHERSON 



As I was a delegate to the fifteenth 

 annual conference of the Victorian Apia- 

 rists' Association held at Stowell, July 21, 

 22, and 23, 1914, I had to travel by train 

 all day and all night to get there ; but I was 

 well repaid, if it was only to meet the many 

 beekeepers I made friends with aside from 

 the valuable points of an apiarist's trade 

 one gleans from such meetings. 



On the third day of the conference we all 

 drove out in drags and motors to J. C. 

 Liddle's Myrtle Bank apiary four miles from 



Mr. R. Beului 



JU\ ITlllllcIll (■XpiTt, Hivill-- a (ll'lllnll^l 



a ilr. Liddle's apiary four miles from 



Stowell. The road out was full of interest 

 to the beekeeper, as different species of 

 eucalyptus were passed and noted, and very 

 interesting discussions would take place as 

 to their value to the bee farmer. As it was 

 winter the bees were practically dormant. 

 A few hives were opened at Mr. Liddle's, 

 and the different races of bees examined. 



Wintering bees in Australia is simplicity 

 itself corajDared with the methods the "Yan- 

 kees" jDractice with cellars, etc. In the pho- 

 tograph of Mr. Liddle's apiary you will set' 

 a typical Australian 

 method. A piece of 

 sack is put on top of 

 the frames as a mat, 

 and the cover is put 

 on. As long as there 

 is enough honey for 

 tlie bees they are as 

 safe as man can make 

 them for winter. 



After the ladies of 

 the house supplied us 

 with afternoon tea we 

 took a drive through 

 more "bee country,'' 

 then back to Stowell. 

 Every night of the 

 conference we had lan- 

 tern lectures by gov- 

 ern m e n t scientists 

 which were very in- 

 structive. 



Port Fairy, Victoria. 

 Auslralia. 



■:i I HMl III l|U 



Sluwell. 



