1888 



GLEANliSTGS IN BEE CULTUllE. 



6ii 



nies were very large, and preparing for swarming. 

 After a pleasant voyage I got them safely landed 

 on Melbourne wharf, ran the gauntlet of the cus- 

 toms, secured vans, and carted them 8 miles to the 

 spot from which I now write. I lost but one colony 

 in transit, which, by some means, smothered. The 

 others lost very heavily in bees, and were thrown 

 back a good deal, tut have since increased at a fair 

 rate, so that at the present time I count over 100 

 colonies, with every prospect of there being many 

 more, although I am checking swarming as much 

 as lies in my power. 



I have been heartily welcomed by all interested 

 in bee culture, who were glad to have an opportu- 

 nity to supply their wants, and have every pros- 

 pect of doing well, as I and my business become 

 known. The honey yield is good, though little is 

 yet known of the frame hive, and the newspapers 

 still i-efer to matters pertaining thereto as a novel, 

 ty. Here, as in all these colonies, the honey har- 

 vest is to a great extent variable— one good yield 

 and one light one; but the good one is a good one. 

 I find that the bo.\-men calculate 80 to 100 hives of 

 bees equal to 5 to 7 tons of honey, and this without 

 any care bestowed upon them other than taking 

 the honey, and this from a degenerate race of 

 blacks. What maybe accomplished under better 

 management, and with better bees, is yet to be 

 seen. It is my intention to send 50 good colonies 

 into the country for the season now opening, and 

 see what I can do. 1 fear I live too near town to se- 

 cure any harvest, although up to the present my 

 bees liave been booming in spite of an exception- 

 ally wet spring. 



Honey brings 4'/^ to 6 in bulk; 1-lb. sections, 9 to 

 10 wholesale, and no end to the demand at the 

 present time, or likely to be for some time to come. 



One of your readers in Texas wrote me, since 

 reading my previous contribution, asking informa- 

 tion respecting these colonies; but his letter, ar- 

 riving just at the time that 1 was on the move, was 

 mislaid. For his information, and to others 

 through your medium, I should like to say a few 

 words which may be useful. 



SOIL, CLIMATE, AND WAGES PEU DAY. 



Australia, as a whole, is a land blessed with a 

 fertile soil and a temperate climate. The northern 

 parts tend toward the tropical, but in no part is 

 the cold of winter very severe. Snow is seen only 

 in the heart of the mountainous country to any 

 extent, so that the bee-master has no trouble or 

 losses in wintering. I ran my bees through last 

 winter without even a mat of any sort on top of 

 the frames, and they seemed comfortable enough, 

 and most of the queens continued laying, or ceased 

 for only a short time. Ttie country is divided into 

 colonies, each under a separate government, fram- 

 ing its own laws for internal economy, and each 

 having a governor representing our much-loved 

 Queen, to whom we arc, as a people, extremely loy- 

 al. As pointed out, there is no reciprocity of 

 products, and a good deol of unspoken jealousy 

 exists between the colonies; but it is probable that, 

 before many years elapse, we shall enjoy a federa- 

 tion of the whole colonies for mutual benefit. To 

 any man witli a trade at his command, these colo- 

 nics offer a wide scoi)e. The small capitalist start- 

 ing in business has every help a paternal govern- 

 ment can afford him. The settler has the most lib- 

 eral terms offered, and, speaking generally, no 

 man need remain poor who is willing to work and 



save. Now, I will venture to say that you have all 

 these advantages, and more, in the States, except, 

 perhaps, in the matter of temperature. The pos- 

 sibilities of life lie within the man, not in external 

 circumstances. Man is always superior to his sur- 

 roundings, and may rise above his fellows if he will 

 take steps to differ from his fellows and SAVE. 

 The average wages paid to artisans is from 10 to 

 13 shillings (or from $3 35 to $3.00) a day — 48 hours' 

 work to the week. Laborers get 7 to 8 shillings 

 (or $1.75 to *3.00). Men brought up to practical 

 farm work are in demand at all times, and may 

 soon become their own masters. I have seen men 

 by scores become rich during the past 30 years by 

 steady work, and rise with the colonies; but, alas! I 

 have known hundreds, surrounded with every 

 necessary opportunity, go down, hopelessly down, 

 never more to rise, through that curse of all 

 curses, drink — drunkards, body and soul, before 

 they were aware of it themselves, because, as 

 young men, they would do as their fellows did, and 

 not dare to be singular. 



GLEANINGS AND ITS HOME ARTICLES. 



My wife says, "Oh that we had a few men such as 

 friend Terry and many others (whose contributions 

 are so delightful to read), in our midst, who do 

 what lies in their power to lighten woman's lot, 

 and e.xercise (blessed word!) a sympathy for wom- 

 an's trials!" Of course, this joggles me up a bit, 

 and I am very apt to hear a quotation from Glean- 

 ings at times if I am remiss in fixing up that bench 

 or putting up those hooks, etc. What always 

 strikes me in reading American literature is the 

 apparent home life and fixity of home and sur- 

 roundings which is much wanting in these colo- 

 nies. Here men, under liberal laws, take up land 

 either for speculative purposes or to drain its re- 

 sources in 6 or 7 years, and then sell, with only hero 

 and there a man willing to make a permanent 

 homestead for his family— need I again repeat, 

 these are the men who now are comfortable? Cold 

 and severe winters have a tendency to create a 

 home feeling, and enforce attention to many mat- 

 ters which go by default in more genial climes. 

 This is the only way I can account for the differ- 

 ence. It is with great pleasure we open and read 

 Gleanings when it comes to hand, and I think it is 

 about the best-read publication which comes into 

 the house. 



You will remember that, by a short act of parlia- 

 ment, the government of South Australia set apart 

 Kangaroo Island as a spot for breeding Ligurians 

 only. We are now about to reap the benefit of 

 this, as one of our most experienced bee-masters, 

 Mr. Fiebig, is now busy packing his first orders 

 from there; and as he has had many years' expe- 

 rience in Germany, as well as here, we are pretty 

 sure of getting the best-bred bees procurable, at a 

 medium price, to commence with. 



Now, I think for the present I have "said enough 

 of "myself and my neighbors." We are all looking 

 anxiously to hear that you have conquered and 

 stamped out foul brood. We all know him here to 

 our sorrow. Leonard T. Chambeiis. 



Middle Brighton, Aus., Nov. 6, 1887. 



Friend C, I am very slad indeed you gave 

 me that text. I did not know ihat any 

 thing could be put in so few words to meet 

 my views so exactly. " Peace on earth, and 

 trade with all mankind " is exactly my mot- 

 to. I know it would distress some, especial- 



