1907 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



487 



midge will result in more seed for the seed- 



f:rower and more honey for those who keep 

 talian bees near it. 

 For many years I have made a practice of 

 looking closely at larviB to see how the bees 

 were feeding it. Some was very poorly fed 

 in colonies where the bees had every chance 

 possible to do better, and in others I found 

 the brood much better fed where the chances 

 were not so good. The differences in these 

 cases were in the bees. I found the pui'e- 

 bred Italians the best of any race at feeding 

 their brood, and also best at gathering hon- 

 ey from red clover. I am not in the queen 

 business, and have none for sale. 

 Wood burn, Ont., Can., Jan. 24. 



[This is a good time of the year to get the 

 farmers to sow alsike and red clover in the 

 vicinity of the bee-yards. We go so far as 

 to offer seed of alsike free to the farmers 

 within a half or three-quai'ters of a mile of 

 any of our yaixls. Our old rule was to give 

 the seed at half price. At present we are in- 

 clined to believe it will pay us to furnish the 

 seed free, especially alsike. — Ed.] 



BEE-KEEPING IN NEAV ZEALAND. 



Prospects there Not Great. 



BY A. E. DEWAK. 



On page 1488 of your issue for Dec. 1, 1906, 

 appears a copy of a letter from the editor of 

 the Waikato Times, referring to what pur- 

 ports to be a statement by Mr. Hopkins, our 

 venerable Government Apicultural Expert. 

 While I agree with the opinion expressed as 

 to Mr. Hopkins' peculiar suitability to occupy 

 that position. I can not believe that the facts 

 and fagures given were ever expressed by him, 

 and 1 can not allow the article to go unchal- 

 lenged. The general impi'ession which it is 

 intended to convey appears to be that New 

 Zealand is a bee-keepers' paradise, only 

 awaiting the influx of a number of cute Amer- 

 ican bee-keepei"s who will reap a rich reward. 

 Now, the sooner this illusion is dispelled the 

 better, as I am sure that a bitter disappoint- 

 ment would await the large majority of per- 

 sons who journey to this country with the 

 hope of making a living by apiculture. I 

 say the " large majority' advisedly, for I am 

 not a pessimist, and know that there are some 

 localities where a respectable livelihood could 

 be made by bee culture; but even in these 

 districts the seasons are uncertain, as you al- 

 so find them in America, especially when clo- 

 ver is the main source of supply (I think Dr. 

 Miller will agree), and some other culture 

 should be combined with bee culture to help 

 tide over the bad seasons. 



No one knows better than Mr. Hopkins the 

 extreme difficulties to be met with in New 

 Zealand; but under his supervision, with the 

 enforcement of legislation dealing with foul 

 brood and other diseases, and the adoption 

 of modern and scientific methods, the condi- 

 tion and results of the industry will materi- 

 ally improve. He would be the last person 



to suggest the publication of an article which 

 would nave the effect of inducing immigration 

 to New Zealand on misleading statements, 

 as he knows that there are numbers of capa- 

 ble bee-keepers in this country who woiild 

 be pleased to reenter the business if local 

 conditions warranted them in so doing. 

 Auckland, N. Z. 



AN UNHEATED WAX-PRESS. 



How to Constniet a Press Entirely of 

 Wood. 



BY JOHN LOCKWOOD. 



The drawings shown herewith make the 

 construction of my wax-press plain. To be- 

 gin rendering wax, first put the cleated rack 

 into the bottom of the press. Take a burlap 

 sack that is big enough to hold 100 lbs. of 

 bran and rip the seam in one side and the 

 bottom. Spread this burlap sheet over the 

 press; push it down in and see that it fits 

 well into the coi'ners, letting the edges hang 

 out over the top. Now take a whole sack 

 and put it into the press with a hoop in the 



JOHN LOCKWOOD'S UNHEATED WAX-PRESS. 



top to hold it open. Now dip into your tub, 

 full of boiling comb; take the hoop out of 

 the sack; push it down with a stick to make 

 it fit on the bottom and in the corners. Fold 

 up the mouth of the sack and the sheet over 

 it. Put the follower on, with the blocks on 

 top. Swing the cross-bar over and push the 

 screw up through the hole in it. Put on the 

 handle and turn both handles down, one at 

 a time. 

 After the wax is pressed out, take off one 



