772 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



existonce. It will be oontinuod, and several 

 experienced apiarists present promised as- 

 sistance in writing articles. 



The membership has slightly decreased; 

 but two associations had affiliated — the 

 Canterbury Beekeepers' Association and 

 the South Canterbury Beekeepers' Associa- 

 tion. There are still three associations un- 

 affiliated, and an effort will be made to in- 

 duce these to fall into line during the com- 

 ing year. 



Three sessions were held daily, and all 

 were well attended. The incoming execu- 

 tive was instructed to take steps to estab- 

 lish a fund for defense purposes, to be kept 

 separate from the genei^al fund. 



It was announced that amendments to 

 the Apiaries Act would be gazetted shortly, 

 and that the registration of apiaries would 

 be included. This has been urged by sev- 

 eral conferences, and the announcement 

 was gTeeted with applause. 



A number of valuable and instructive 

 papers were read at different times, notably 

 " The Food Value of Honey," by Mr. B. C. 

 Aston, F. I. C, B. C. S.; "Co-operative 

 Selling Propositions," by PI. W. Gilling; 

 ''■ A Short Cut in the Treatment of Foul 

 Brood," by C.J. Clayton. 



The eA'ening sessions were chiefly given 

 over to discussions on various subjects con- 

 nected with bee management. Of special 

 intere-st was the discussion on " Can we 

 Improve the Flora of our Districts to Pro- 

 vide Higher Qualities of Honey?" and "The 

 Importance of the Honey-bee to the Fruit- 

 giowing Industry." Mr. W. E. Barker, 

 Peel Forest, who is an authority on New 

 Zealand flora, was particularly interesting 

 in his remarks ; and M. J. Rentoul, Cheviot, 

 ran him very close for first place. 



The conference resolved to recommend 

 that the water content in honey, to comply 

 with the provisions of the pure-food act, 

 should be reduced from 26 per cent to 20 

 per cent. A number of samples of New 

 Zealand honey had been analyzed, and were 

 found to vary from 14 to 17 per cent. 



Mr. F. A. Jacobson, government grader, 

 gave a demonstration of grading honey for 

 export. He explained the methods and how 

 points were allotted. 



In the second day of the conference a 

 special general meeting of the shareholders 

 in tlie New Zealand Co-operative Honey- 

 producers' Association, Ltd'., was held. The 

 Dominion has been divided into seven dis- 

 tricts for the purpose of dealing with local 

 trade. Directors were elected to represent 

 the various districts, and resolutions sub- 

 mitted provided power for a committee of 

 three to be appointed to manage the com- 



pany's affairs in each district where a bot- 

 tling depot is established. It is hoped that, 

 next season, depots will be an accomplished 

 fact in two districts at least, in addition to 

 one already running in Taranaki. 



On the last day a presentation of a. 

 traveling-rug was made to Mr. Isaac Hop- 

 kins, and a trinket to Mrs. Hopkins as a 

 small token of the esteem in which Mr. 

 Hopkins is held. On account of the war, 

 Mr. Hopkins' departure for England has 

 been delayed indefinitely. In making the 

 presentation, Mr. Allan, president, made 

 feeling reference to the kindly feeling bee- 

 keepers have for Mr. Hopkins, who is 

 known as the father of beekeeping in New 

 Zealand. Mr. Hopkins thanked the donors 

 very heartily, and related a number of an- 

 ecdotes connected with beekeeping in the 

 early days. 



The following officers were elected for 

 the coming year : 



President, J. S. Cottrell; vice-president, 

 M. J. Rentoul; North Island representa- 

 tives, Mr. A.skew and W. J. Nicholas; 

 South Island representatives, Mr. W. E. 

 Barker and W. B. Brav; general .secretarv, 

 Mr. Stewart Wright. 



St. Albans, Christchurch, N. Z. 



NIGHT 



BY GRACE ALLEN 



In the mystical hush of the nig:ht I pause 



And send my thoughts round the curve of the 

 world ; 



Here there is silence nnd slumber around 

 And moonlight for miles unfurled. 



This part of the world is asleep, so still 



One scarcely remembers the throb of the lives 



Of millions of men at rest in their homes 

 And millions of bees in their hives. 



Th(ni out past the night my thoughts svs'eep on 



And pause where the dawn of a day lias begun, 



\Vhero strong men waken and children spring up 

 And hee-s flash out in the sun. 



Then swifter than light my thoughts race on 



Where for thousands and thousands of miles it 

 is day, 



With traffic's roar and the rush of the town 

 And the bees in fields far away. 



Still on and around my swift thoughts trail 

 Till they sink at last with a setting sun. 



Where work-wearied inen and homing bees 

 Seek rest, and (he day is done. 



"And ah! Ilirou-li it all,' I think "through it ail. 

 Is life and love and death and birth. 



And a million of men and a million of bees 

 And the mystery of the earth I "' 



