THE AMERICAN APICULTUBIST. 



105 



provisions during winter than a 

 single liive, and tliat, so far from 

 the bees suffering anj^ diminution, 

 the doubled hives generally sent 

 forth the earliest and best swarms. 

 The translator of M. Gelieu's work 

 states that he practised in Scotland 

 most of the plans recommended 

 in the original publication with 

 the same etfect. 



INTERESTING NOTES. 



We clip the following from the 

 Fifteenth Annual Report of the 

 Committee of the South Australian 

 Chamber of Manufactures, Ade- 

 laide, Australia. 



Mr. A. E. Bonne}^ under date 

 of July 17, 1884, writes to the 

 secretary of the Cliamber of Man- 

 ufactures: — I am pleased to say 

 that during the past season a great 

 impetus has been given to beeiieep- 

 ing in this colony ; the movable 

 comb hive and improved systems 

 of management are rapidly super- 

 seding the old boxes. There is no 

 doubt that much of this improve- 

 ment is due to the Chamber taking 

 up the subject ; the meeting held 

 on the 8th February last in con- 

 nection with this industry appears 

 to have at once created a large de- 

 mand for modern hives and appli- 

 ances. Also, the recently formed 

 Beekeepers' Association should do 

 much for the advancement of api- 

 culture in South Aust)-alia, and it 

 is expected that the movement will 

 be well supported. 



The Italian bees imported by the 

 Chamber from Queensland have 

 done well since they were intrust- 

 ed to my care last December. The 

 original colony was divided into 

 three : two of these in Langstroth 

 hives were sent to Messrs. Buick 

 and Turner, of Kangaroo Island, 



10 



the third remaining in my own 

 apiary. Pure Italian queens were 

 given to Mr. Justice Boucaut, 

 Messrs. J. Robertson and W. Ste- 

 vens, who successfully intioduced 

 them to colonies of black bees. 

 In order to keep the Italians pure 

 on Kangaroo Island all the black 

 bees have been removed. 



Many persons have entered en- 

 thusiastically into scientific bee- 

 keeping, and the nuclei of what are 

 intended to be extensive apiaries 

 are already established. At pre- 

 sent the largest venture of the kind 

 is at Kent Town, where upwards of 

 one hundred hives are in use, and 

 it is expected to more than double 

 that number during next summer. 

 This apiar}!- is under the care of 

 Mr. Filbig, who is a recent arrival 

 from Europe and a very able bee- 

 master. He has adopted the Ger- 

 man hive and Italian bees with 

 satisfactory results. 



I think I am correct in saying 

 that, while the majority of persons 

 using ordinary box hives complain 

 of the bad honey season last sum- 

 mer, and the consequent loss of 

 bees, those who have adopted the 

 movable comb hive are jubilant at 

 the large amount of surplus honey 

 they secured. In my own neigh- 

 borhood there has been an uninter- 

 rupted flow of honey from the end 

 of February until the iwesent time, 

 and after this, my third season's 

 experience in practical beekeeping, 

 I am more than ever convinced of 

 the magnificent honey resources 

 of South Australia. The extreme 

 drj'ness of our climate appears to 

 cause the flowers to secrete a thick 

 rich honey which for flavor can 

 hardly be surpassed in any part 

 of the world. 



The valuable report on the ''Bee 

 Farming Industry," by Mr. A. E. 

 Bonney, which was presented the 

 previous year, attracted a large a- 

 mount of attention, and during the 

 past twelve months satisfactory 



