THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



275 



four cells to the inch, though I have 

 never j-et measured them. They 

 are often gay colored ; and per- 

 hai)s (?) a cross between this bee 

 and the Ajns melUjica, if one can 

 be obtained, may be the bee of the 

 future. The Ajns dorsata , however, 

 so far as I know, never builds its 

 nests in trees or lioUows of any 

 kind. There is also a tiny bee 

 called xijyis Jlorea which is a per- 

 fect beauty. ' It builds its nest on 

 the slender ends of bamboo or other 

 trees, where it cannot be reached 

 by its many foes and the honey is 

 niost delicious. I thus very brief- 

 ly iudicate the field for study in 

 apiculture there is in this far-off 

 laud. 



Tlianks for the specimen copies 

 of your Journal. With kindest 

 wishes for its prosperity, 



A. Bunker. 

 The Bghai Karen Mission. 



To Editor Am. Apiculturist. 



The busy season for beekeepers 

 is now upon us. Swarmiug com- 

 menced in some of tlie more fav- 

 ored localities, nearly three weeks 

 ago. The prospects of the season 

 are good, notwithstanding that the 

 weather has been colder, with more 

 rain than was desirable for bees. 



In many districts foul brood has 

 made its appearance. Tliis dread 

 disease taxes the skill of the ex- 

 pert, but to the amateur it is simply 

 an extinguisher. I notice in the 

 British Bee Journal for August 1, 

 that a Mr. Cheshire has made some 

 important discoveries regarding the 

 nature and cure of this scourge. 

 If confirmed, the discovery will be 

 of incalculable benefit to beekeep- 

 ers, and Mr. Cheshii'e will be held 

 in high esteem for his painstaking 

 and disinterested inquiries on this 

 subject. Bacillus alvei is to sup- 

 plant foul brood and phenol takes 

 the place of salicylic acid. I 

 sincerely hope that the new cure 

 will be effectual as I know several 



localities where the effects of Bacil- 

 lus alvei are ver}' serious. 



Mr. Hopkins of the INIatamata 

 Apiary received from Italy recent- 

 ly a shipment of Italian queens. 

 Out of twelve shipped in Italy only 

 six arrived alive. I have not as- 

 certained the length of time they 

 were on the journey, but a previous 

 shipment from the same quarter 

 occupied thirt3'-eigiit days. I un- 

 derstand that some of our most 

 enterprising apiarists have ship- 

 ments on the way from America 

 from the apiaries of some of 3'our 

 leading beekeepers. The distance 

 is great, but should the venture be 

 moderately successful, it will lead 

 to further business. In my next 

 I shall be able to give you the 

 result of the venture, as I under- 

 stand the bees are expected by the 

 incoming mail from San Francisco. 

 It is only of late years that the 

 Italian bees have been introduced 

 into New Zealand. We have no 

 native honey bee. The common 

 black bee was introduced by im- 

 migrants some thirty years ago. 

 It has become thoroughly acclima- 

 tized and can now be found from 

 one end of the colony to the other. 

 It thrives well. Indeed most ani- 

 mals suited to this climate do. It 

 is only a few years since sparrows 

 were first introduced at consider- 

 able cost ; now they have become a 

 pest and all sorts of schemes are 

 being resorted to, in order to de- 

 stroy them. The same may be 

 said of rabbits, which have in many 

 places overrun the sheep farms, 

 causing a loss that I believe one or 

 two millions sterling would not 

 cover. It is necessary to be cau- 

 tious about what is introduced to 

 a new country, but I do not fear 

 for the results of introducing some 

 of the best strains of Italian bees. 

 Any which I have yet seen far 

 surpass the blacks. 



N. Z. Correspondent. 



Oct. 9, 1884. 



