98 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



sons, and being increased from 

 year to j^ear in proportion to the 

 increase of population and cultiva- 

 tion, until it reaches, in course of 

 time, at least ten times that amount, 

 or something like the present pro- 

 duction in the whole of the United 

 States. This addition to the 

 national wealth is made in the most 

 unobjectionable form, the produc- 

 tion of a healthful and agreeable 

 article of consumption, derived 

 from inexhaustible and constantly 

 renewing natural sources, and col- 

 lected through the instrumentality 

 of an insect endowed with such 

 wonderful instinct for the purpose. 

 As an occupation beekeeping is 

 highly conductive to a healthy 

 condition, both of mind and body 

 (the so much desired mens sana in 

 corpore sano) of those engaged in 

 it ; and as an industry it does not 

 look for any Government aid in 

 theshape of subsidies, bonuses, or 

 protective duties. In making this 

 last remark tliere is no intention to 

 cast any slight upon other branches 

 of industry which may, admittedly 

 ■with advantage, be fostered by 

 Government help ; but the fact that 

 apiculture is independent of any 

 such assistance is undoubtedly an 

 additional argument in its favor. 

 Private enterprise has been found 

 sufficient to do all that was pro- 

 posed, at the time of the Colonial 

 Industrial Commission of 1880, to 

 be done at Government expense 

 (and much more beside) in the way 

 of introducing new races of bees 

 and doing all that is necessary to 

 establish the industry on a proper 

 basis. All this being the case, it 

 is only right that apiculture should 

 not be allowed to suffer in public 

 estimation in consequence of mis- 

 taken views, or groundless preju- 

 dices, but that, on the contrary, it 

 should be viewed, in the liglit of 

 truth, as an important and most 

 desirable industry, and at the same 



time the serviceable handmaid of 

 both agriculture and horticulture. 



Bay View Apiary, Katikati. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



new york and florida. 

 Dear Sir : 



In man}^ sections of New York 

 state the honey flow ceased during 

 the month of August, which neces- 

 saril}^ stopped brood-rearing which, 

 together with the extreme cold 

 winter which has just passed, will 

 prove very disastrous. 



The bees in two of the yards in 

 New York state had access to 

 buckwheat bloom during the fall 

 which continued brood-rearing 

 quite late in the season and to such 

 we look for only partially success- 

 ful wintering. 



The bees from the south gathered 

 but little after the month of Au- 

 gust and no brood was the result. 

 The bees, when liberated, dwindled 

 very rapidly and continued to do so 

 during the months of January aud 

 February which were unusually 

 cold and damp for the climate, al- 

 though brooding was kept up all 

 winter in two or three combs. 



About the first of March the 

 weather changed making it more 

 favorable for the working of the 

 bees on the orange bloom, aud tak- 

 ing a start at this time the bees 

 have been booming ever since. 



I spoke of observing the orange 

 bloom for hone}- and our observa- 

 tions have led us to believe it a 

 very highly developed flower, hav- 

 ing rudimentary sepals, five pure 

 white petals, long upright stamens 

 which are sectionally united at the 



